The Bangkok BigChilli. June 2013

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FIND OUT WHAT’S HOT IN BANGKOK

June 2013 08 INSIGHT News, letters, gossip and more 10 VISA WOES UK crackdown on spouses 25 EXPAT WOMEN Health, shopping, people, and advice 32 SCHOOL REPORT A round up of news from Bangkok’s best international schools 45 GOURMET A round up of all the best restaurant deals and gourmet events in Bangkok 70 WILDLIFE One man’s fight against illegal trade 76 DODGY COPS Sukhumvit’s litter police on the prowl 81 WHAT’S ON Exhibitions, performance, sport, networking – we’ve got this month’s best events all wrapped up 97 SOCIAL Last month’s best events in pictures 117 DIPLOMATS Maxmilian Wechsler talks to HE Jorge Chen about Mexico’s relationship with Thailand 123 HUA HIN Deals and news 133 PATTAYA Boom time in Jomtien

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The BigChilli Company Ltd., 1/7 5th Fl. Room 504, Siboonrueng Bldg. 2, Convent Road, Silom, Bangrak, TheBigchilli Bangkok 10500

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The man who deserves to be called a hero THE word ‘hero’ is bandied around much too readily nowadays, but few really deserve such a nomination. In this issue of The BigChilli we feature someone who genuinely lives up to the dictionary definition of “a person of extreme courage.” He is Edwin Wiek, a softly-spoken Dutchman of steely resolve who devotes his life to rescuing and looking after animals injured by humans. Edwin was, and still could be, a successful businessman, but he realized in an epiphany that there is more to life than just making money. Against all kinds of odds, including physical threats from corrupt officials and nefarious traders in wildlife, he now runs a Rescue Centre near the beach resort of Hua Hin that provides safe shelter for more than 400 damaged animals.

It’s certainly no money-making scheme and Edwin relies on the generosity of sponsors and a stream of volunteers to make the project viable.

His objectives also include naming and shaming those who profit massively by the exploitation and killing of Thailand’s precious wildlife. Every day, Edwin wakes to the possibility that he may not see tomorrow. But he carries on his wonderful work regardless. Is this not the real meaning of a hero?

Tourists’ fear of Bangkok’s ‘litter police’

WE love Bangkok’s vibrant street life, and it remains a major attraction for tourists. So can you imagine what it feels like when a first-time visitor who’s enjoying the sights and sounds of Sukhumvit is suddenly approached by a man in a smart uniform bedecked with badges and told he or she has just broken the law and now faces a hefty fine? The crime is to have dropped litter, often something as small and insignificant as a piece of paper, or the butt of a cigarette, on the footpath. This usually innocent mistake equates to breaking the law and the penalty can be as much as 2,000 baht, a substantial sum for the majority of tourists.

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The normal reaction is one of confusion, shock and fear, especially in the company of a man who looks very much like a very serious policeman (he’s actually not a cop, but a city official with much reduced powers).

Most law-breakers quickly apologise for their simple oversight and hope to be on their way. But not all. A few are marched off to a booth where they pay a fine, which is not always accompanied by an appropriate receipt. It’s a frightening experience that leaves offenders with a bitter taste of Bangkok officialdom.

While it is right and proper that any effort to keep Bangkok’s streets clean should be applauded, there is something deeply disturbing about the way tourists are targeted by these officials.

Sukhumvit, in particular, is home to countless vendors, some of whom inevitably litter the sidewalks. They seem to get away with it, however. Motorcylists are also not permitted to use the sidewalks, but they too are ignored by the same city officials who pick on tourists. Then at night, these public footpaths are packed with noisy open-air bars selling alcohol, again with impunity. Why this happens is obvious to anyone who knows the double standards that often apply here. Tourists don’t, and after paying up to 2,000 baht for such a minor infringement they may not return.

Pay day chaos

PAY day falls on a Friday, it’s raining and Bangkok grinds to a halt. No point in moaning. We all know the solution. Go home early or stay late.

Chef Filippo’s Italian secrets

The handsome fellow gracing our cover this month is Signor Sassi’s Executive Chef, Filippo Pagani. Is he cool tempered or volatile in the kitchen? Find out on page 62.

TheBigChilli

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Publisher Colin Hastings editorbigchilli@gmail.com MANAGING Editor Adam Purcell adambigchilli@gmail.com Editor Nina Hastings ninabigchilli@gmail.com Assistant Editor Chutinanta Boonyamarn nanbigchilli@gmail.com Sales & Marketing Manager Pannapas Rungrattwatchai sendtorose@gmail.com Account Executive Thana Pongsaskulchoti thanabigchilli@gmail.com Accounting Manager Saranya Choeyjanya fatcatbigchilli@gmail.com Art & Production Arthawit Pundrikapa, Jaran Lakawat Photography Mini Bike Gang and WJ Contributing Writers Anette Pollner, Johanna DeKoning, Judith Coulson, Martine Olthof, Maxmilian Wechsler, Paul Hewitt

Our online handle is ‘thebigchillimagazine’. Simply type this into Facebook’s search box, find the image of our magazine, then just click add.

We are now on Twitter. Find out what’s happening around town, which events to attend, parties to be seen at, and read all the juicy gossip!

Follow us at ‘TheBigChilliMag’ No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from The BigChilli Co., Ltd. The opinions and views of the writers are not necessarily the views of the publishers. All details are deemed correct at the time of print, the publisher, the editor, employees and contributors can not be held responsible for any errors, inaccuracies or omissions that may occur. The editor reserves the right to accept, reject or amend any submitted artwork, photographs, illustrations and manuscripts.

The BigChilli welcomes unsolicited contributions but assumes no responsibility for the safe-keeping or return of such materials damaged or lost in transit.

The BigChilli Company Ltd., 1/7 5th Fl. Room 504, Siboonrueng Bldg. 2, Convent Road, Silom, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500 Tel: 02 233 1774-6, 02 266 7141 Fax: 02 235 0174 e-mail: thebigchillimagazine@gmail.com AD Le Bar June13.indd 1

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Inbox|Have your say

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HAVE YOUR SAY! Write to us at: thebigchillimagazine@gmail.com

ROOM WITH A VIEW

■ HI BigChilli, please can you tell me the name of the hotel which featured on the cover of your May issue – the view looks amazing!

Intrepid traveler, Bangkok We’ve received a lot of enquiries about this hotel, and we agree – the view does look stunning. The property is the Pimalai Resort & Spa in Koh Lanta, a luxury getaway boasting eight restaurants and bars, a spa, two infinity pools (like the one you see in the pic), tennis courts and a PADI dive centre. You can read more about it at www.slh. com/pimalai

VORANAI HITS THE MARK ■ MY husband and I really enjoyed reading Voranai’s interview in the May issue. We always admire how this brave young man writes about Thailand’s political scene, which, as we all know, is regarded by most journalists as a ‘no go’ area. If more people were like him, then I think democracy in Thailand would truly flourish. Keep up the great work Voranai!

Team V, Chiang Mai

FRIENDS REUNITED ■ I WAS at the supermarket the other day

and flipped through your magazine to find a lovely pictoral spread of M.L. Laksasubha, who, a few years ago, ran the kindergarten my daughter attended. Thanks to you we now know she runs her own resort in Hua Hin and we’re already making plans to go and visit soon. Thanks for the info and keep up the great work!

Maggie S.

BACK TO THE IRONING BOARD ■ WANT further proof that lucrative expat packages are on the way out?

Then how about this conversation I recently overheard in the pub – spoken by a foreign businessman moaning to his buddies about the increasing cost of living here. “I can’t afford a maid any more. They’re too expensive.

Monday night has become my big night in. Not to watch football. Not to play poker. Not to read a book. No – it’s my washing and ironing night. I do my best to be manly about it, but I build up such a sweat, I end up having to do it in my pants. Talk about hitting a new low.”

Dale Barnes, Bangkok

READ THE BIGCHILLI FOR FREE ONLINE www.issuu.com/thebigchilli www.thebigchilli.com

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News|Local interest

British families torn apart because of ‘heartless’ immigration rules Hundreds affected as new UK government rules make it much more difficult to obtain a spouse visa ■ TOUGH new immigration rules introduced by the UK government last year are forcing thousands of British families with a foreign spouse, including many based here in Thailand, to live apart.

The rules, described as “mean and heartless” by a leading website, make it much harder for a British husband or wife living overseas to obtain a settlement visa that would allow them to take their partner to the UK on a permanent basis. In the past, a spouse visa was generally granted automatically.

As a result, many British families face being split up, with children and other dependents forced to live apart from their parents and other family members.

This is currently the plight of a number of British-Thai families who want to return to the UK but, fearing they cannot meet the government’s tough new criteria, become permanently exiled. Other families whose spouse’s visa application has been rejected face the prospect of being permanently divided.

Basically, the rules say that unless someone is resident in the UK, has secure salaried employment of at least 18,600 pounds per year or are deemed ‘rich,’ he or she cannot bring his or her spouse in their homeland.

The amount required increases rapidly with children. An income of £22,400 is needed for the first child, with an additional £2,400 for each subsequent child.

Critics say these requirements are especially difficult right now, given the UK’s high unemployment rate.

They also point out the ease with which people from newer member countries of the EU can enter the UK. Elderly dependents have an even tougher time getting into the UK. Indeed it is claimed that only one dependant relative visa has been granted worldwide

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since the rule changes last July.

Other hurdles for settlement visa applicants include tougher language requirements and a ‘Life in the UK’ test.

Considerable opposition to the rules is mounting, with websites like www.britcits.blogspot.co.uk rallying to the cause.

On its homepage, it comments: “BritCits would like to highlight the grievous harm that is being done to British families by the British

government. The new UK spouse immigration rules brought in from July 9, 2012 shows just how mean, heartless and hypocritical our UK leaders are.

“They are basically saying that unless you are resident in the UK, have secure salaried employment at 18,600 pounds per year or are wealthy (the rich rule), you are not welcome to bring your family home.”

It adds: “According to the think tank, MIPEX, Britain has the most difficult-to-overcome spouse, partner, child and family immigration rules in Europe after Norway. But given that average income levels in Norway are far higher than in the UK (as of January 2013), and given the more equitable nature of Norwegian society, this suggests that Britain is easily the most difficult to enter country of immigration in Europe for spouses, partners, children and families.”

Exiled in Thailand

One family’s experience of these rules - affecting people across three generations and two continents (source: http://britcits.weebly.com/our-stories.html)

I should have spent this last Christmas at home with my family in the UK. Instead I find myself exiled in a developing country with my British son. My son’s grandparents are in tears at the prospect of never seeing their son or grandson again. I am shocked that I cannot return home. I am horrified that my little boy cannot enjoy a family Christmas or feel the warmth and love of his grandparents.

I have worked in Thailand for the past ten years.

My wife is Thai and my three year old son British/ Thai. I am desperate to return to the UK to spend time with my parents in their final years. I want my son to know his family and culture in the UK and I want a decent early education for him.

Moving to the UK has become more urgent recently as my parents, who used to visit us in Thailand regularly, are no longer able to travel. My mother and father have both been fighting cancer and my Mum especially is really depressed. She cries every time she sees her grandson on Skype. Seeing their beloved son and precious grandson would be good medicine for them both.

To return to the UK as a family I would have to sponsor my wife’s UK spouse visa application. Not only would I need to show a confirmed offer and signed contract for a salaried job at not a penny less than £18,600 per year in the UK (very hard to secure from abroad), but that I have also been earning the same amount over the last six months in Thailand. I have a good stable job with an excellent salary for Thailand (around £7,500 per year), however this is nowhere near enough to satisfy the new financial requirement. To return home is now impossible. I am effectively exiled.

TheBigChilli

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News|Local interest

Yamato takes over Barbican site Inspired by Boris Bikes, Bangkok turns to Pedal Power to beat the jams ■ THE site on Thaniya Road where the Barbican stood for more than 20 years has been turned into a Japanese restaurant and bar called Yamato.

Barbican, a British managed bar popular with ‘farang’ expats, closed earlier this year.

The new format is hardly surprising given that Thaniya – sometimes called Little Ginza after Toyko’s famous red light district – is home to hundreds of Japanese bars, restaurants and cocktail lounges. And the area’s clientele is mainly Japanese businessmen and tourists.

While retaining some of Barbican’s structural features, Yamato has expanded into an adjoining shophouse, given an interior redesign and equipped with a downstairs toilet.

Canada Day Celebrations at The British Club ■ THE ThaiCanadian Chamber of Commerce will celebrate the 146th Canada Day Celebration with a big party at The British Club, Silom Soi 18, on Sat June 22.

The event will feature children’s games, ball hockey, volleyball tournament, live music, prize draws, and dinner.

Entry to the event is B950 in advance, B1,250 on the door (for kids aged 4-12: B450 in advance, B650 on the door). Doors open 3pm.

For more info Tel: 02 266 6085-6 email: info@tccc.or.th www.tccc.or.th

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includes insurance of up to 50,000 baht and 5,000 baht worth of medical fees in case of accident. Passports and ID cards are required.

The system will eventually expand to 50 stations.

■ TOURISTS can now beat Bangkok’s notorious traffic jams by hopping on to a rented ‘Pun Pun’ bike and pedaling their way round the city centre.

Looking remarkably similar to London’s famous but loss-making Boris Bikes – named after Boris Johnson, who was the city’s mayor when the scheme was launched in 2010 – the sturdily-built Pun Pun bikes are now available at 12 key locations, where they can be rented or returned.

Membership to the Bangkok bike share costs 320 baht, comprising 120 baht card fees, 100 baht annual membership and 100 baht credit for usage.

Cyclists have to be 16 years or older to register for membership, which

GOSSIP

Fees for using the bike • First 15 minutes – free • 15 minutes to 1 hour – 10 baht • 1 hour to 3 hours – 20 baht • 3 hours to 5 hours – 40 baht • 5 hours to 6 hours – 60 baht • 6 hours to 8 hours – 80 baht • 8 or more hours – 100 baht.

Pun Pun stations operational 1. Chamjuri Square Station 2. Siam Station 3. Chula 1 Station 4. Chula 2 Station 5. Siam Paragon Station 6. MBK Station 7. Central World 1 Station 8. Central World 2 Station 9. Siam Center Station 10. Convent Station 11. Rajanakarn Station 12. Krungsri Phloen Chit Station 13. Sathorn Road A recent study showed Boris Bikers are three times less likely to be injured per trip than cyclists in London as a whole.

Slow down, you go too fast ■ DRIVERS who exceed the speed limit on the Elevated expressway from Bangna to Chonburi are being sent photographic evidence of their misdemeanor and a statutory 1,000 baht fine. The police have set up cameras at several points beyond the toll gates. You’ve been warned.

TheBigChilli

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Insight

News|Local interest So, we are indebted to Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper for pointing out the following:

Going cold on climate change

■ THE debate about climate change (note how the phrase ‘global warming’ has been conveniently frozen out, so to speak) drones on, though mostly by opponents, critics and disbelievers.

The case against it is mounting, along with evidence that some of its proponents are making a buck or two out of what is quite possibly scaremongering.

• British MP Tim Yeo, Chairman of the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee, has received almost 250,000 UK pounds over the past two years from three ‘green’ companies that may benefit from changes he wants to make to the Energy Bill.

• UK consumers are paying billions to subsidise the green energy industry after the UN warned that world temperature would rise by 0.5 degrees between 1997 and now. In fact, the temperature in that period has not increased at all.

• Before his appointment, the man in charge of Britain’s Climate Change Committee was paid an undisclosed fee as chairman of a major firm trying to build the world’s biggest wind farm.

• Despite fears that it would increase carbon dioxide emissions, fracking for shale gas in the US has actually resulted in a 12% decrease!

• After the Fukushima nuclear meltdown in Japan in 2011, Germany said they would shut down their nuclear plants and instead use Brown lignite coal – the dirtiest fuel known to man.

You won’t “Have a Good Day” without this lot

How fruit wine dodges Thailand’s taxman

■ WINE, as its many lovers know to their cost, is taxed to the max in Thailand. To get round the duties, some importers have come up with smart ideas and dodges to beat the taxman and give consumers a cheaper deal.

One increasingly popular idea is to sell ‘fruit wine.’ You’ll see this printed in very small letters on the bottle. As its name implies, this particular beverage is made from different fruits, rather than grapes.

The bottlers, who include merchants based in Vietnam, then mix in a few genuine wine grapes to achieve a similar taste to all-grape wines. It does the trick in three ways – it gets around most of those punitive taxes, provides drinkers with a ‘wine’ that can be as strong as 13% proof – and the cost is only about 200 baht per bottle.

■ LEAVING home to go to work or to socialize used to be easy and straightforward. At most you’d need to take a house key and some money.

Today, thanks to modern technology, that’s no longer the case. In fact, it’s become downright complicated. There are so many things to take and even more things to remember.

Life nowadays is not complete without: • House keys • Key cards • Car keys • Wallet • iPad • Office parking card • Office key card • Office keys Then there are the passwords you’ll have to remember for: • Emails (at least three)

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• Facebook • Computer • iPhone • App store password to buy apps • Mileage password for airline • eBay password • ATM • Credit card(s)

• Bank account • Other membership • Other social media (Instagram, LinkedIn etc) And you can probably double many of the above for personal and business purposes.

Have a great day!

TheBigChilli

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A PASSION FOR VIETNAMESE CUISINE from Danang to Le Danang 6-28 June

Nguyen Van Nhien is one of our talented chefs in Vietnam, where he delights guests at our Sandy Beach Non Nuoc Danang Resort with the true tastes of Vietnamese cooking. Now, from Danang in Vietnam to Le Danang in Bangkok, he will be presenting authentic Vietnamese dishes. With passion.

Centara Grand at Central Plaza Ladprao Bangkok Chef Van Nhien will be in residence 6-28 June Buffet and a la carte served for lunch and dinner T: 02 541 1234 E: cglb@chr.co.th www.centarahotelsresorts.com

IT’S OUR PASSION

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Insight

Business|Property

BUILDING ON PATTAYA’S BOOM: THAVATCHAI SACHDEV With two condominiums currently in construction and another one in the planning, new property developer the Blue Sky Group has found instant success in Pattaya.

Whatʼs the groupʼs secret? Its managing director explains…

Being new in the property market, we were able to attract instant attention. The Blue Sky Group is made up of the owners of the Majestic Grande Hotel Group in Bangkok and the Diamond Business Group from Pattaya, as well as other key Thai-Indian executives with many years working in the property industry. It’s a formidable team with lots of expertise and, most importantly, the financial strength to develop excellent projects.

Our first project in the Pattaya area (Jomtien Sai 2), which launched in April 2011, is the Atlantis Condo Resort. One of the first resortstyle themed condos to launch in the area, it was an instant success and to date we have sold over 90% of the 1,000 units. Construction of the project is now well underway and should be completed early 2014.

The rapid success of The Atlantis highlighted how, when done right, themed-condominiums can be a huge draw for buyers. So we decided to go bigger and move into Pattaya itself and launched the Grande Caribbean.

Scheduled for completion early 2015, this property will offer a total of 1,064 units overlooking Pattaya Bay, a short walk from the beach.

Built to a Caribbean theme, the Grande Carribean will boast a children’s play park, grottos, caves, multi-level pools, a sandy beach, two wooden interactive pirate ships, and an island lighthouse connected by wooden bridges.

Each floor consists of one and two-bedroom units, 34.5sq.m

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and 69 sq.m, with prices starting at just 1.5m baht – and all fully furnished! Central to the property is a 30 storey high-rise – the highest we’ve ever done – called The Cruz, which offers the best views and is connected to the spa and wellness facilities.

Potential buyers want and need to know that a property they’re buying will deliver exactly what is promised.

Our aim, however, has always been to go one step further than this – we want to not only meet customer expectations, but also to surpass them. How do we do this? By offering excellent value for money, completely furnished rooms, and resort-style facilities that ensure that, whether a condo owner stays for one night or a whole year, they will always feel like they’re on holiday – a key element to why our projects sell out fast.

With the Grande Carribean now well underway, we’re also launching a new project called The Venezian Signature Condo Resort Jomtien.

This will be built in an Italian-Venetian style and consist of fully furnished studios, onebedroom apartments and two-bedroom apartments of various sizes. Construction is scheduled to start December this year.

A few years ago Pattaya was at a real low point but over the past couple of years it has really started to develop and flourish – especially in the real estate sector. The infrastructure is constantly improving, there are great restaurants and bars, excellent golf courses, top spas, and many attractions perfect for families. It’s a real buzz to be part of the area’s rapid move upmarket, and I also take great pleasure from being able to provide dream homes at excellent value for money.

For more info: :grandcaribbeanpattaya.com

TheBigChilli

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News|Profile

T

Smoothing out the creases in Thailand’s booming tailoring industry

How to spot a crooked deal when buying bespoke clothes

TAILOR shops are popping up like bean sprouts in Thailand these days.

Unfortunately, so too are the number of complaints from people sold on the idea of bespoke clothing. At least that’s the view of Mr Deepak Dangmaneerat, a veteran of the country’s tailoring industry, who has set up a website TruthAboutTailors.com that not only gives tips to potential buyers, but also helps when they encounter problems.

The truth is that some visitors to the kingdom rush into buying tailor-made clothes and end up getting much less than they had bargained for. Behind the glossy tourist magazine advertisements offering incredible deals and the lavishly decorated shops, there is another side to the tailoring trade. And it’s foreigners who are especially prone to bad business practices since they are rarely here long enough to sort out problems if they aren’t

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happy with the finished product.

A reputable tailor, who owned a tailors on Sukhumvit for years, says: “It is a huge industry generating big profits for hundreds of shops in Bangkok and all the major tourist destinations, but unfortunately it attracts a lot of crooks, both locals and foreigners.

“You can see them standing on the footpaths hustling foreigners passing by.

They feign politeness, but of course have only one objective – to get people inside their shops.

“The usual procedure then is to make a quick assessment of the customer in order to establish how far they can go. This is done by asking questions like whether the person is on holiday or lives in Thailand, how often they visit, where they are staying, and when are they leaving the country.

“If the clothes are delivered to the hotel shortly before the customer is due

By Maxmilian Wechsler

to fly out of the country, he or she has no time to make the necessary alterations.

“They also deceive customers by selling them inferior fabrics they claim are expensive imports from Europe.

“A few cheats can spoil the reputation of Thai tailors. Happily, most are honest business people who care about their reputation. They want customers to come back and recommend the shop to their friends,” he added.

Deepak said the tailoring business first began in Thailand during the 1800s when trade ships brought fabrics along with spices and other goods from India to Thailand. However, it was not until the American military arrived here in the late 1960s that it really took off.

Deepak’s family migrated from India to Thailand in 1964. His father opened a tailor shop in Banchang in 1969 catering mainly to US servicemen stationed in the

TheBigChilli

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region during the Vietnam War. After the Americans left in the mid-1970s, his father opened Maharaja Tailors on Beach Road in Pattaya. It was one of the resort’s first tailor shops. When his father retired, Deepak’s older brother took over the shop and continues to run it to this day.

“To open a tailor shop is easy but to acquire the expertise needed to be a tailor is not. You don’t need much money to start out because you get fabric on credit. You can send the clothes to many places for cutting and sewing. You can start the business immediately providing you pay the rent,” explained Deepak.

“The business survives despite many department stores selling readymade name brand clothing. Many people don’t fit into the standard sizes made by the factories, or like to have something unique, so they go to a tailor shop.

There’s still plenty of business for tailor shops and this won’t change,” he said.

“Besides usual questions like, ‘Where can I get good quality suits or neck ties or shirts made?’, the most common inquiry I receive nowadays is from foreigners wanting information on how to start a business in their own countries to sell tailored clothes made in Thailand.

“Many foreigners are now ordering clothes from Thai tailors to sell in their home countries. This is a new trend.

“They have samples of fabrics, take the measurements of their customers and later place the orders here. When finished, the clothes are shipped overseas. Custom-made suits from Thailand are much cheaper than ones made in Europe, so even after paying for the shipping there is still room for profit.

“Initially, they have to learn not only how to take measurements, but also how to make alterations to fix small problems.

They could return an item to the shop here, but it is much better if they can do it themselves.”

“In my experience, people complain not so much about the quality, but things like not getting their suits delivered after paying a deposit, or the tailor is unwilling to make alterations or provide a new item if what they have received is beyond alteration.

“In Pattaya, a frequent scam was for the tailor to tell the customer to pick up his or her order on the same day they were due to leave the country, only to discover the shop was closed on that particular day.

“I have also had complaints about credit card fraud, when the shopkeeper

swipes the card more than once and the customer gets billed for things they never ordered and never received.”

New hotels are popular with tailor shop operators. “It is very lucrative to open a tailor shop inside a hotel as it is easy to target customers staying there,” says Deepak. “They might be slightly more expensive, but they are generally more reliable.

“Tailoring in Thailand is done not only by Thais and Indians but also by Pakistanis, Nepalese, Bangladeshis and Bhutanese. We have so many different people doing this business, so it is very difficult to get them to form an association or union.”

What advice does Deepak have for first-time buyers? “Select several tailor shops close to your hotel, visit and talk to them, just to get a feeling or impression.

Search Google for comments. You can also judge the shop from the photos of customers displayed inside.

The longer the shop has been there, the better the chances that it’s

reliable. So ask how long they have been in business. You should also examine work displayed in the shop – the lining of a jacket, the stitching and button holes, how the sleeves are attached. There should be no loose threads and there shouldn’t be too many wrinkles on the sleeves.”

Attractive package deals for suits, shirts and ties “for only US$199” are quite common, but Deepak has a warning. “It can be done for that price, but it might not be good work.

It’s a gimmick to bring in customers.

For instance, for that price you will be offered a totally unsuitable fabric or colour. So if you want something different, it will cost more.”

Is it possible to make a good quality suit within 24 hours? “It is possible, but most probably you won’t get many fittings. I wouldn’t like to guarantee the result, and would suggest giving the

process at least one week, with three fittings.

“Many online tailors work without fittings. They have website tutorials to show the customer how to take measurements. You can choose the material from the pictures and descriptions on the site as well, but you can’t feel the fabric, of course. The idea is to reduce the number of fittings or eliminate them entirely, and it can work. However, a lot of bad things are happening with online tailoring.

Deepak gets a lot of inquiries about wedding dresses. “I usually recommend one shop in Pattaya, which is very good, and also does other types of dresses.

Some tailor shops in Hua Hin have dresses made for their customers in this same shop. Likewise, some Pattaya tailors have their men’s suits cut in Bangkok.

“In the past, tailors did all the work in their own shops, but nowadays more and more are using outside factories.

Sometimes one factory serves up to 20 tailor shops. Tailors that make their cut and make their own clothes are very few nowadays.

“Most fabrics now come from China or Japan. You can still buy materials from England or Italy but these are very expensive, maybe over 1,000 baht per yard in wholesale prices. You can get Hugo Boss and other famous brand names. But not every tailor can stitch such expensive fabrics because they are very delicate and if they’re not stitched properly they will start to wrinkle.”

For many, tailoring has proved extremely lucrative and provided the financial means to go into other businesses, especially property.

He said the profit on a single suit depends on the tailor. “I visited one tailor who runs a famous shop that’s been around for 30 years to see how he works.

He is a member of an international federation of tailors. I picked up a good piece of fabric and asked the price for a suit made from it. He said 60,000 baht.

I knew this was way too expensive. He still makes his suits himself. Allowing for overheads of the shop, I estimate that his total cost would be about 10,000 baht, so the suit should cost 20,000 – 25,000 baht at most. He obviously thinks his labor is worth a lot more.

“Tailoring in Thailand has at the same time a good and a bad image.

It depends on the experiences that individual customers have. There are a lot of scams and cheating in Thailand, but the same is true elsewhere,” concluded Mr Deepak.

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Business|Marketing

The mind games of marketing Insight

Want to get exposure for your company and boost your sales? Then it’s time to brush up on psychology. Marketing Consultant Pacharee Pantoomano-Pfirsch explains ■ SINCE the dawn of commercialism,

marketers have been trying to influence customers to choose their products or services. The challenge is that a customer’s decision making process is based on a vast number of factors. It is virtually impossible to influence them all. The smart marketer usually aims to establish a balance by appealing to the emotional as well as the rational side.

If you’re interested in the field of psychology and the role it plays in marketing, consider reading Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Dr. Robert

B. Cialdini. With more than two million copies sold and available in 26 languages, the book was named one of the ‘Smartest Business Books ‘by Fortune Magazine.

Often on the required reading list of marketing students, the book has been on the New York Times Business Best Seller List. The reason for the book’s phenomenal success is the concept of the six pillars. These pillars govern our social behaviors. So whether you eat noodles with a fork and call it spaghetti, or like your noodles in a soup bowl and call it ramen, the concept works across multiple cultural terrains.

Pillar One: Reciprocity

A common application of reciprocity is when brands give away free product samples. From the consumer’s point of view, they are assessing how much they like the product. At the same time, the invisible social force of reciprocity is taking place.

In the subconscious mind, the free sample is a form of favor. Naturally, the recipient wants to reciprocate and return the favor by purchasing the actual product.

In our interconnected world today, engagement and great customer service worksin the same way. Many companies give away white papers, research reports, free prizes, and tips to solve problems.

These types of actions often set reciprocity into motion.

Pillar Two: Commitment and Consistency

Most of us want to be seen as “walking the talk,” essentially being consistent with our beliefs and actions. When we promise to do something, verbally or in writing, we are likely to follow through.

Some sales people use this to their advantage and add extras after the sales process has been completed.

They know that many customers will not cancel the order despite the changes.

A subscription-based opt-in that requires the user to register on a website is a way to leverage commitment and consistency. Free trials are an effective way to get users to commit to your product for a certain period of time.

Once the period is up, the customer feels obliged to pay to continue.

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Pillar Three: Social Proof

Cialdini, the prominent social psychologist, says that human beings regularly make choices about what to do and think based on the ideas and actions of others. Simply put: We like to follow the group. This is called social proof.

In the past, all a company had to do was to show models and actors using their products to establish social proof. Nowadays, consumers are less susceptible to pandering. With the growing usage of social media, brands are now expected to step up and provide a unique customer experience and engagement. The ultimate goal is to gain brand evangelists. These advocates or fans will freely tell their network of family, friends and the world how much they just love the product.

Pillar Four: Authority

Socially, most of us have been conditioned to trust and follow the instruction of an authoritative figure. Marketers have put this to use by using CEOs and other trusted authority figures as the spokesperson for the brand. Endorsements from men and women perceived to be experts in their fields often have a greater impact than any sales slogan and it also adds more depth.

There are authority figures in nearly every field. The key is to find the ones that matter to your brand and seek their sponsorship or review. If you sell an energy saving product, a positive testimonial from a prominent green association creates the authority effect.

Pillar Five: Liking

It’s no surprise to know that people emulate those they look up to and like. Many fans buy products simply because their favourite celebrity uses them. Behind every commercial featuring Choompoo Areeya or Aum Patcharapa telling you to buy a particular product, there is a savvy marketer. However, not all brands canvass fans adoration in the same way. Some leverage it via product placement and social media.

Consider getting connected with the social celebrities and icons of your industry. Find who your target market follows and pursue their social sponsorship. The effect of reaching your audience in this way can be staggering.

Pillar Six: Scarcity

Have you ever seen a banner advert saying “last condo unit for sale at a special price”? Perhaps you have seen, in a newspaper or a friend’s Facebook, a photo of a shop with a massive queue. Perceived shortage of something almost always generates demand. This is the reason why mega sales only happen over a weekend, coupons have expiration dates, and websites put a countdown on their discounted offers.

You don’t need to go as far as having a countdown clock on your website to create the scarcity effect. For your next event, let the potential customers know that seats are limited and only a few would be available within a short time frame. Those who are sitting on the fence will spring into action and book their ticket!

Pacharee Pantoomano-Pfirsch is a Marketing Consultant at Brand Now, a boutique marketing and PR agency helping clients to communicate their brand. If you’d like to plan a successful campaign with her, she may be reached at pacharee@brandnow.asia.

Brand Now is organizing a Speed Networking evening on Thurs June 20 from 7.30pm-10.30pm at Whale’s Belly Sukhumvit Soi 39.

Visit www.bnow.org for details.

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Insight

News|Q&A

From Bangkok private investigator and corporate troubleshooter to the city’s newest author Harlan Wolff reveals the background to his book ‘Bangkok Rules’ ■ THAILAND continues its

tradition as a fertile ground for foreign authors with the recent publication of ‘Bangkok Rules’, a thriller by newcomer Harlan Wolff*. In this interview, the 52-year-old British writer and long-term Bangkok resident talks about the dubious characters he’s encountered over the years and how they inspired his first novel, the challenges of publishing a book in Thailand, and other local writers whose works he admires.

This your first book – what inspired you?

I have claimed I would be an author one day since I was 12 years old, possibly because I escaped into books at that age or perhaps because my grandfather was a famous author in Sweden.

You say Carl Engel is based on a true character – you?

It was the publicist that wrote the bumph and believes it to be so. All characters should have something of the author in them. Carl Engel (the novel’s principle character) is how I imagine I might have been if I hadn’t had children and had allowed myself to become even more cynical than I already am. He is probably real up to a point but from a different decade.

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What’s your own background?

I grew up in London and have been in Bangkok since 1977. The last 20 years was spent as a private investigator and corporate troubleshooter.

At school, were you known as a good essay writer?

I was abysmal at school and never felt comfortable there. By the age of 14 I was better read than most of my teachers, which caused some friction. I intentionally did not practice creative writing until I felt I was ready. I believed my task was to read a lot and collect experiences before attempting my first book. Was this a good strategy? We will know very soon.

So, writing comes easily?

Probably not, but I enjoyed it so much that it felt easy.

How long did it take you to write Bangkok Rules?

It was very stop start as I had so much to learn. It was probably two years in total and six months of that actually working on it.

Are you the publisher?

Is that because of the difficulties a new writer faces with established publishing houses?

Yes. The great difficulty>>

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Insight

of getting anybody in the publishing industry to read a piece of work is the first obstacle. I finally had two publishers offer me a contract but publishers don’t seem to treat writers well and don’t pay them well at all. I didn’t leave home at 16 and stay independent all of my adult life to allow somebody to treat me like an idiot when I was 50.

We sought a solution and my wife set up Bangkok Ink Company and runs it, very well too, I might add.

She got ‘Bangkok Rules’ on the shelves of the bookshops and airports around Thailand within a matter of weeks. I believe other first books took years to achieve this. I would still like to get a publisher to distribute my books in Europe and America but I will wait until the right one comes along.

It’s available through Amazon too, right?

We had a promotion on Amazon recently that got lots of attention. Bangkok Rules has been in and out of the top 100 crime books a few times since February and has a constant rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.

How are sales?

We’ve sold almost 5,000 copies for cash since February and given some away as well. Amazon is a wonderful vehicle for writers to get their book to the reader.

I don’t know how it is going at Asia Books yet, but based on the comments that they keep selling out I assume it is doing very well.

Have you always had a fertile imagination, or has life in Thailand been inspirational?

I have always had an extremely fertile imagination and Thailand definitely gave it the extra colour.

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News|Q&A

Out of the other foreign authors based here, whose work do you admire most?

Without doubt I have to say Stephen Leather. It is no accident that the most talked about novel in Thailand is ‘Private Dancer.’ He liked my book and emailed me so we got together for a beer. Apart from being a true professional in his approach to writing, he was incredibly generous with his advice and contacts. The first book based in Thailand that I read was ‘A Woman of Bangkok’ by Jack Reynolds.

Jack was my first foreign neighbour in Bangkok back in the 1970s.

As with some other books based on or about Bangkok, will we recognise some of your ‘fictional’ characters in people we know?

The characters are all amalgams of the various people I have known. I tried very hard not to make them easy to spot or embarrass anybody alive or dead.

How good is Thailand as a venue for books like yours?

I have always believed that an author must write about what he knows. So for me there is only Thailand.

I have a plan to take some of my characters out of Thailand once in a while and put them in situations in other countries, but that is something for the future.

What’s your scariest personal experience while in Thailand?

Fear and adrenalin were always there. There were so many situations that I can’t think of one that stands out.

Last time somebody put a gun against my head I asked him to hurry up and make his mind up as the bars were closing in an hour. That’s how immune I became.

Bangkok is full of foreigners with dodgy backgrounds and dubious CVs. Have you encountered many?

The first dodgy characters I encountered were in Patpong in the 1970s and there hasn’t been a shortage since. Bangkok without the dubious characters would be hard for me to imagine.

Presumably you’re not worried about portraying some Thai characters in a less than flattering light, right?

My book is not about good and evil in a black and white sense. It is about the grey fog that shrouds the two.

I strive to depict characters in a realistic and fair way. Carl is not a typical hero. I don’t find him particularly likeable and in many ways he’s just no damn good.

Apart from writing, what else do you do here in Bangkok?

I still consult with some foreign companies and law

firms. I also have a few investments. I am trying to free up as much time as possible for writing. The eccentric author would be a wonderful way to spend the rest of my years.

So, when can we expect your second book?

The second book will be out early in 2014. The plot is not fully laid out yet but will be Carl finding more than his fair share of trouble again.

*Harlan Wolff is the pen name of Malcolm Schaverien.

Bangkok Rules – The blurb ■ THAILAND is terrified. A sadistic serial killer has been abducting young innocents for his ritual horror and the authorities are clueless.

Carl Engel is an enigma. The blunt Londoner has forged a thirty-year career as a private investigator amid the chaos of Thailand’s political history. Struggling with advancing years and a decreasing workload he is approached by an elderly American with a lucrative missing persons case. The case descends into the sordid world of the elusive serial killer and a menacing web of political intrigue dating back to the Vietnam War. Carl must use his guile and experience to stay alive, find the killer and negotiate the dangerous military interests that lurk behind the scenes. Based on a real person Carl Engel lives in a world rarely seen by outsiders and hauls the reader on a pulsating ride to the explosive conclusion.

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Expat WOMEN p Put your feet up and indulge

Carven Le Parfum is our scent of the month. Find out why on page 30.

Shopping

Hot new products and stores demanding your attention Page 30

Health

Judith Coulson reveals why getting busy in the bedroom is good for you Page 40

Agony aunts

Professional counselors Anette and Johanna help readers with problems Page 42 TheBigChilli

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Expat Women

Insight|Profile

From martial arts to fine arts: Elsie Evans

By Alex Pithie

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WHEN an expat mother of four boys wants more from life than just being a mother of four boys, what can she do?

She takes up Taekwondo. And within a couple of years she graduates as a Black Belt 2nd Dan, leaving her exasperated family to ask: “Why can’t you be like any other expat mum?”

But to call Elsie Evans ‘restless’ is like saying Bangkok traffic is ‘quite busy’!

The martial arts phase of her life eventually ended, only to be replaced by a new passion – painting. This time she poured all of her Scottish determination into developing the skills she knew she had in sketching and painting.

As usual, Elsie was relentless in this new diversion. Studying and practicing late into the night, it soon emerged that Elsie did indeed have a gifted artistic alter ego that would finally satisfy her search for something satisfying and productive and worthwhile.

That was some years back. Today, Elsie runs her own three-storey art studio

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in Sukhumvit 39, where she teaches kids and adults. She also lectures in schools in Thailand, India and around the world while selling a serious percentage of her prodigious output. These include an impressive range of paintings inspired by life in Bangkok, as well as cool murals commissioned by hotels, apartments, pubs and first-class restaurants here and in Phuket.

Her boys are now grown up, either working or studying at university. She funds their education herself, having been widowed in 2008 when her husband, Fred, died tragically in a diving accident off Koh Samui.

Although devastated by the loss, Elsie knew what had to be done. Instead of returning to the shelter of the UK, she bit the bullet and turned her new passion into a business that simply had to flourish and pay the bills. These days, an additional revenue stream comes from a business selling Caucasian-origin carpets.

Commercial success is welcome, of course, but Elsie would prefer to devote all her time doing what she truly wants to do – which is to paint, paint, and paint!

“An artist who isn’t painting all the time can only hope to get so far. Painting is like permanently training for the Olympics - it requires your undivided attention, commitment, passion – all these things all of the time. And if I am ever going to get anywhere as an artist, to hone my skills and creativity on canvas, I have to be painting - if possible, every hour of every day.

“I do work on painting every day of course, teaching, coaching, lecturing and yes, that pays the bills. But I am not getting to my art - to my ambitions - to express my ideas, to create something extraordinary, to excel, to be recognised for my own art.”

Despite living in Thailand for more than 20 years, Elsie still finds it hard to make any impact on the local Thai art scene or even to transfer her teaching >>

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Expat Women

Insight|Profile

skills and knowledge through ‘official’ channels. Whenever she’s approached the art establishment offering her skills, the authorities come over all nervous, worried that she might undermine the classic approach to Thai art and fearful of her new ideas, including stylistic originality, the bedrock of the Western approach to creativity on canvas.

“But I don’t waste time wishing they would allow me to lecture in their colleges or galleries. Instead I welcome the kids who do want to learn a new approach to art at my studio, where they are welcome to experiment to their heart’s content. And that’s exactly what many upcoming young Thai artists - very, very talented too - have done in the US, Australia and Europe, forming the foundations of what hopefully will be a rather more enlightened generation of new young artists here.”

Once her sons have graduated and moved on, she dreams one day of opening a larger studio on an island where she can accommodate students, supervise their development but ultimately dedicate herself to her craft of painting.

“I’m looking at Ko Chang simply because it is still within reach of Bangkok for fetching art materials and stuff. You can fly there, plus the island has all the charms of a seaside environment and plenty to keep my guests entertained if they don’t feel like painting or just want to go tourist for a bit. But that’s well down the road, but here’s hoping!”

With four bright boys to tap for com-

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puter tips and advice, she has a blog, a web site and a Facebook page where she puts up a picture a day - usually a small oil painting which she paints of an evening and sells online to her eager fans and audience.

“I do sell them but I don’t really do it just for the money. It keeps me painting and using different styles and ‘keeps my hand in’ as we say in Scotland. I charge a basic price and I mail them anywhere in the world, free of charge – they’re a small, signed oil-on-canvas stretched over a frame, so it’s quite a good deal really.

Win-win as they say!”

Elsie is also studying for a Masters Degree in Art Therapy through a university in British Columbia, Canada, as she is anxious to help many who need an avenue of creativity where they can feel useful, creative and productive. Already she has become involved in helping autistic children, ‘disengaged’ teenagers and even some new students who simply have given up on ever doing something with their lives as old age bears down on

them - early retirees and older.

“What a joy to watch students of any age find themselves through art, experimenting, persevering, blossoming and taking a grip of themselves knowing that against their own doubts and entrenched perceptions, they can indeed produce something of value or artistic merit, and to discover that they have a talent that helps them find validation and a sense of purpose and belonging again.

“As an artist and as a therapist this process is totally priceless in terms of reward, and I am suitably passionate about the need to expand this therapeutic discovery process and broaden its impact however I can.”

Far-flung as she is from her Scottish roots, Elsie the artist has nonetheless a secret ambition to have a major exhibition of her works in the Scottish capital Edinburgh. Elsie, who has already had a few major exhibitions in Bangkok in recent years explained:

“I am not saying I would turn down the opportunity to show my art in London or New York, but to exhibit in Scotland would be a double delight because I am so impressed with the latest generations of Scottish artists, and I would be really proud to exhibit amongst them, to them shoulder to shoulder so to speak. For me that would be the ultimate in terms of my arrival as a contemporary Scottish artist with potential worldwide appeal. I would be totally made up!”

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Expat Women

Shopping|New products

ACHES AND PAINS BE GONE IKEA ON SALE! ■ SHOPPERS take note – On July 5 to 12 IKEA will hold a big sale featuring special discounts on various products in every department plus a series of exclusive offers. If you’re really desperate to get your hands on flat-pack furniture for less, sign up as an IKEA FAMILY member and you’ll gain access to exclusive sale previews on July 3 and 4 – giving you the chance to snag the best bargains before they all sell out. www.IKEA.co.th/FAMILY

■ LONG hours cooped up in a stuffy office sure take their toll on the body. Stiff neck, backache, headache and muscular pain are just a few of the symptoms that result from being sat all day hunched over a desk. If you’re currently suffering from the effects of ‘Office Syndrome,’ though, don’t despair: help’s at hand – and, thanks to the clever folks at Medispa, it comes in the form of a bottle.

Combining natural herbs and essential oils, Medispa has created three products designed to help ease away those aches and pains.

These include Aromatic balm for muscle relaxation, Essential oil for relaxation and a good sleep, and Body cream for refreshment and relaxation. The products are available now at all leading pharmaceutical stores.

Talking

Shop Hot products and stores demanding your attention SCENT OF SUMMER ■ IF you’re looking to add a summery fragrance to your perfume collection this new bottle by Carven Le Parfum is definitely worth checking out. The olfactory artist behind the fragrance, Francis Kurkdjian, has somehow managed to combine the fresh and ethereal fragrances of Ylang Ylang and Jasmine flowers with Sweet Pea and woody bottom notes.

Like a big bouquet of beautiful flowers, it’s lovely.

The fragrance comes in three sizes 30ml, 50ml and 100ml. Available at leading department stores.

BIG IS BEST ■ TAKING masculine design and giving it a feminine edge, the new Mini Spectrum watches by Guess pull off the oversized look in style. Featuring crystals around the dial and a rose gold finish, the watch is serious yet playful, and can be paired with almost any outfit. Prices start at B8,600.

Available at Guess Kiosks in CentralWorld, Central Plaza Rama 9, Terminal 21 and other leading department stores.

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Expat Women

School Report

The American Independence Day Picnic and the BigChilli Cook-Off

A FUN day out for the whole family is guaranteed at the annual American Independence Day Picnic. Held Saturday July 6 at KIS International School, the event will feature a range of fun games and activities (tug of war, egg toss, climbing wall, bouncy castle and more), live music, and lots of American food and drinks stalls.

A highlight of the event is the BigChilli Cook Off – a competition to find Bangkok’s best chilli which gives fairgoers the chance to take part in the ‘people’s choice’ judging process (by eating a lot and voting for their fave), and budding chefs the chance to be known as the maker of the city’s best chilli (email the organizers to apply). Tough competition comes from several of the city’s expat restaurants, including the hotly tipped Roadhouse Barbeque.

Entry to the fair is B300 on the door.

Free for kids under 12. Shuttle vans are available to and from Huai Khwang MRT station Exit 1.

For more info about The BigChilli Cook Off contact Dana Edward Caron “Head Chili Head” at 081 837 6855 email: dana@roadhousebarbecue.com

Summer fun at La Lanta

EVERY week throughout July La Lanta Fine Art on Sukhumvit 55 is hosting art classes for kids aged 6-12. Held every Mon-Fri from 9am-1.30pm, the classes are designed to focus on three critical fundamentals (1) idea development (2) translation of ideas into visuals, and (3) expression of oneself. Each week the camp will have a different theme, including Underwater World, Sky has no Limit, Art of the Organic, and Time Capsule. B7,500 per person per camp; inclusive of art materials, lunch, and afternoon snacks.

For more info Tel: 02 204 0583 e-mail: info@lalanta.com

Anantara launches art competition for kids IN preparation for the King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament 2013 in Hua Hin from Aug 28 – Sept 1, Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas is launching a nationwide children’s art competition with a “Thai Elephants are in My Heart” theme, to help raise money for the conservation of Thailand’s elephants and give one family the holiday of a lifetime.

The elephant inspired art contest is open to children aged 7 to 12 years. Entrants are invited to let their passion for elephants and creative juices flow, by painting a picture that raises awareness about the need for elephant conservation. The artwork dimensions specified are A3 (297 x 420 mm), and contestants are welcome to use paper or canvas with any medium.

Each entrant must submit one piece of artwork

by July 31. Judging criteria is based on clarity of the theme, overall impression and originality. The winner, to be announced on Facebook in Aug, will receive a complimentary four night stay with two parents or adult guardians from Aug 28 – Sept 1 at Anantara Hua Hin Resort & Spa. For more info see: www.anantaraelephantpolo.com

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St. Andrews’ fun run a huge success

ST. Andrews International School, Sathorn Campus’ Student Council and PTG recently organized the school’s first fancy dress Charity Fun Run to raise funds for the IDC (Immigration Detention Centre).

The 2.5km run started at 8.30am in Lumpini Park, where over 130 people turned up dressed as superheroes, cartoon stars, and more creative characters – a head turning sight for the early morning exercise crowd in the park. Prizes were awarded for Fastest Family and Best Dressed Family, and a fun day was had by all.

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School Promotion|St.Andrews

Expat Women

Cognita appoints new Head of Bangkok schools Peter McMurray to lead the St Andrews K-12 schools at Sathorn and Sukhumvit 107 campuses. Distinguished career includes leadership roles in UK, US, Europe, Africa and the Middle East

■ COGNITA has appointed Mr Peter McMurray as the new Head of Bangkok Schools. In this newly created position, Mr McMurray will provide leadership and strategic oversight of both Bangkok campuses, managing the Sukhumvit 107 campus directly while working closely

with Ms Karen Pennock, the Head of Sathorn Campus.

The appointment of Mr McMurray follows a global headhunt for the best educator and leader to guide Cognita’s Bangkok schools to a new level of academic achievement.

Mr McMurray was chosen for his international school experience as well as his knowledge of both the IGCSE and International Baccalaureate programmes.

He has a strong and proven track record of successfully heading international schools, including five years at the American International School of Abu Dhabi, three years at the International School of Basel, Switzerland, and three years at the Aga Khan Academy in Mombasa.

A passionate educator, Mr McMurray is committed to helping every student achieve more than they believe is possible.

“A good school education can transform a life,” he said. “That’s why I have dedicated my life to education. While a focus on academic excellence is the foundation of any good school, a great school can also provide an ethical framework that sets a child up for a successful life.”

“I am looking forward to working with the excellent teaching staff at both campuses and ensuring they are given the support they need to bring out the best in each of their students.”

“I also welcome the engagement of parents as an essential part of the school’s community and to working with them to make our Bangkok schools a vibrant and supportive place of learning,” Mr McMurray said.

Mr McMurray has a Bachelors Degree in English and Ancient Greek as well as a Post Graduate Certificate of Education (Distinction in teaching) from the University of Keele, UK, and a Masters Degree in International Education from the University of Bath. www.standrews-schools.com

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School Promotion|KIS

KIS students set sights on world’s top universities

■ THE class of 2013 at KIS International School have been very active with their university applications. Between the 28 of them, the students were accepted at 116 different universities in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada , China, Thailand, and elsewhere.

Acceptances came from prestigious

universities, with 18 of them ranked in the top 50 in the United States and Canada and the top 20 in the UK, such as: (Canada) University of British Columbia and University of Toronto; (USA) UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara, U of Illinois at Urbana Campaign, New York University,

Pitzer College, U of Washington U of Wisconsin, Boston University, Pennsylvania State, U of Southern California; (UK) Lancaster University, University of East Anglia, Newcastle University, University of Birmingham, University of York, University of Leicester, University of Edinburgh and University of Exeter.

The graduates will be studying at a wide range of faculties, ranging from medical science, petrochemical engineering and aerospace engineering, to sociology, forestry, and game design.

UK acceptances are conditional and application to several other countries, such as the Netherlands, Australia, and Korea are still pending.

We are especially proud to let you know that a number of our students were granted scholarships, mostly in the United States. Between them, they were awarded 961,000 dollars worth of scholarships.

With several more applications pending, we are confident that the scholarship wins will top the 1 million US$ mark.

Many congratulations to our class of 2013 on their great achievement!

For more info about the school see www.kis.ac.th

Educate girls! A powerful message and unique screening ■ LAST month, KIS International School, together with Plan International, Intel, the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) and Room to Read, played host to almost 200 guests from schools, the United Nations, embassies and other organizations, in a private screening of the powerful movie “Girl Rising.” The screening was followed by a panel discussion and questions from the audience.

The film’s powerful message is that educating a girl contributes hugely to improving her life, as well as society as a whole. Through a collection of nine true stories of different girls the movie shows that there are still too many countries where girls are not in school and how educating girls not only empowers them, but makes the world a better place.

The movie is directed by the Academy-Award nominated director Richard Robbins and narrated by famous actors Cate

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Blanchett, Priyanka Chopra, Selena Gomez, Anne Hathaway, Salma Hayek, Alicia Keys, Chloë Moretz, Liam Neeson, Frieda Pinto, Meryl Streep, and Kerry Washington. The movie has not (yet) been released in Thailand, so this private screening offered a unique opportunity to view this potent, meaningful movie.

KIS International School asked film viewers to contribute to the “10 x 10 Educate Girls, Change the World” charity, and raised 33,000 Baht on the night.

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Expat Women

School Promotion|Harrow

War of words at Harrow School’s students shine in World Scrabble Championship qualifying contest

■ HARROW International School, Bangkok, welcomed wordsmiths from far and wide at the school’s Don Muang campus at the beginning of May for the world’s longest running school Scrabble event.

Around 100 participants flocked to Harrow’s beautiful lakeside location to compete in student and adult divisions of the world’s most popular word game, invented more than 60 years ago in the USA. Now in its 13th annual outing, this year’s event also had the added kudos of being a World Scrabble

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Championship qualifying contest and attracted many of the top ranked players in the country who are well known throughout the world.

Heading the list were the 2003 and 2009 world champions, Panupol Sajjayakorn and Pakorn Nemitrmansuk from Thailand, though neither could cope with the talent of Marut Siriwangso who took the Open Division and the cash prize and trophy.

In the Junior Division Satit Ramkhamhaeng took the first three places while in the Senior Students Siriwat won the top prize. Sitthipan won the high word score with 117 points for JESTING but this was dwarfed by Pakorn who scored 176 in one turn with the word NONWHITE. Tournament director Mr Gerry Carter, who is Head of Thai Studies at the famous school, said: “Harrow has been at the forefront of promoting Scrabble in Thailand in conjunction with the Thailand Crossword Game Club. Generations of students are improving their vocabulary and gaining better English usage through this enjoyable and challenging game.”

The World Scrabble Championship will be held in Prague later this year with a team of five Thai players taking on representatives from another 40 countries across all continents.

Gerry added: “Thailand can be very proud of its great Scrabble players who have shown with dedication and hard work that anything is possible.”

www.harrowschool.ac.th

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Expat Women

School Promotion|Harrow

Students golf for glory at the BISAC Championships The nation’s top junior golfers enjoy a great day of golf at Harrow International School ■ ON Sunday 28 April 2013 Harrow International School hosted the annual BISAC (Bangkok International School Athletics Conference) Golf Championships at Bangkok Golf Club. The event was attended by 10 international schools and included some of the top junior golfers in the country.

The event included both individual and team prizes and ranged from students as young as nine years old all the way up to 19 years old. The team prize is awarded to the school which has the lowest total score for their top three players and can include either boys or girls from any of the age divisions. This team trophy is highly sought after by all the schools, but there is also fierce competition to win individual accolades across all age groups.

This year’s trophy was won by a very proud Bromsgrove International School who beat The American School of Bangkok (the winners of this title for the past two years) by a mere five strokes.

Harrow International School finished in 3rd position only one shot behind The American School – a tight finish indeed.

Harrow’s coach, Mr Trevor God-

win, commented that he was extremely proud of his team which has developed immensely over the past five years and continues to improve with some excellent young players, some of whom are sports scholars. They have played in numerous,

highly competitive events throughout the year and have succeeded in placing in the top three places in all of the team events. Congratulations to all Harrow golfers on their achievements this year, and the school extends its gratitude to its sponsors for all their wonderful support.

For further information on enrolling your child at Harrow International School, please contact admissions@harrowschool.ac.th Kesaree Rojanapeansatith

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Kamoltat Sirivadhna

Akedanai Ponghathaikul

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Expat Women

Health|Sex

Eight reasons why sex is good for you Medical & Lifestyle Nutrition Coach Judith Coulson explains why getting busy in the bedroom can have great benefits for your health ■ WALKING from Nana to Asoke on a recent Sunday morning, I saw vendors putting up their stalls equipped with sex toys and erectile performance pills, powders and potions, and was inspired to share with you some of the health benefits of sex. So here goes...

Having sex could lower your stress and your blood pressure People who have regular intercourse respond better to stress than those who abstain, according to a Scottish study with 24 women and 22 men. Another study found that the blood pressure levels of people who are in a relationship and have sex often tend to be lower than those of sexually inactive people.

Depressed and highly stressed individuals tend to have less sex. It’s a trap!

Don’t fall into it.

So plan that romantic night out or light the candles for a special dinner date.

Sex boosts the immune system Having sex stimulates those wonderful pleasure endorphins, as well as antibodies to protect you from getting the flu or a cold.

Once-a-week sex produces 30% higher levels of immunoglobulin A, boosting the immune system and fighting off disease, as a study at Wilkes University, with 112 college students shows.

Sex reduces the risk of breast cancer and bladder weakness Sex can help reduce the risk of breast cancer for women who have never given birth. A study showed that if a female increases her frequency of sex, she decreases the risks of breast cancer.

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Sex strengthens the pelvic floor muscles that control the flow of urine.

Kegel exercises occur naturally during sex, giving women better bladder control.

Thirty minutes of sex burns 85-200 calories That may not sound like much, but it adds up. It takes both physical and psychological work to do it well and lovemaking improves strength, flexibility and muscle tone. It’s surely the most enjoyable way to control or lose weight and burn calories.

Sex improves heart and mental health A 20-year-long British study shows that men who had sex two or more times a week were half as likely to have a fatal heart attack or stroke. As for women more sex can increase oestrogen levels, which protects against osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s.

Sex may decrease pain Having sex and orgasms boosts levels of the hormone oxytocin, the so-called love hormone, which helps people

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bond and build trust. Oxytocin also boosts your body’s painkillers called endorphins. Headache, arthritis pain, or PMS symptoms may improve after sex.

So having a headache would be a great reason to have sex.

Having sex stimulates those wonderful pleasure endorphins, as well as antibodies to protect you from getting the flu or a cold.

More sex may make prostate cancer less likely Research shows that frequent ejaculations, especially in 20-something men, may lower the risk of getting prostate cancer later in life.

A study published in the Journal of

the American Medical Association found that men at any age, who had 21 or more ejaculations a month, were less likely to get prostate cancer than those who had four to seven ejaculations per month.

Sex is a sleep booster The oxytocin released during an orgasm also promotes sleep, research shows.

Getting enough sleep has also been linked with a host of other health benefits, such as a healthy weight, lower stress, and reducing aging. That’s something to think about, especially if you’ve been wondering why your guy can be active one minute and snoring the next.

So, whether you are in a relationship or single, you can reap the benefits of frequent sex. Some say it is better than an apple a day! Make frequent dates with yourself or with your partner, get sexy and stay healthy!

Judith Coulson is a Medical & Lifestyle Nutrition Coach available for private coaching sessions and corporate wellness workshops. Want to know how Food can support your healthy sex-ercises? Contact Judith@bkk-health.com for further information

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Expat Women

Advice|Problems solved

Ask the experts Send your problems to: thebigchillimagazine@gmail.com

J ealous g ir lfr iend driving me cr azy

Expat life getting you down? Don’t suffer in silence. Send in your problems and get advice from professional counsellors I AM in a big disagreement with my girlfriend and it is causing a Anette and Johanna

lot of stress.

We’ve been in a relationship for two years now, but last month she got hold of my phone and found some videos and pictures of other girls on it.

She reacted very emotionally by screaming and yelling that I don’t love her. And she is still very upset about it. I really do not get it, what is her problem?

Since then she has become extremely controlling and jealous. If I even happen to look in the direction of another woman she thinks I’m going to leave her or I don’t love her.

She wants to know every move I make, ask where I am and messages or phones me all the time. If I don’t pick up the phone, sure enough I will be faced with an upset and crying woman when I get home.

I love my girlfriend and I think she is the most beautiful person in this world, but I don’t agree with her that me watching other girls or videos is harming our relationship. All guys do that, so what is her problem?

I don’t understand her and her control drives me crazy. Is our relationship doomed?

Guillaume, 31, from Belgium

Dear Guillaume,

■ The problem you are raising here is one we encounter a lot in the counseling room.

How to deal with it depends on the agreement you and your girlfriend have about the boundaries and commitment within your relationship and your values about intimate relationships.

You write “what is her problem?” and “all guys do this.” It sounds as if you are defending yourself and it also sounds as if you are not taking her emotional outcry seriously.

How important is this relationship for you? What are you willing to ‘give’ in order to make her happy and secure? Is • Johanna DeKoning MS is the Clinical Director of NCS Counseling Center. She trained in the Netherlands and Australia.

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having your pictures and videos more important to you than the mutual love?

To understand your girlfriend you need to know what is bothering her so much, what feelings it creates within her and where they come from.

Women in general often compare themselves with pictures (or videos) of other women and feel they don’t measure up. Also, underneath all the emotion, there may be a hidden fear that one day you will leave her for a nicer looking/better woman.

Maybe she feels that you need to watch other girls because, somehow, she is not “enough for you” and this triggers her low self esteem. The emotional outcry is often a cry for reassurance and affirmation, but many times produces the opposite result, as a man withdraws and feels judged.

I think you and your girlfriend need to sit down and talk about this issue openly.

But you also need to ask yourself questions like ‘what is it within me that wants to have these pictures and videos? What do they give me? Why is it more important for me to have the right to do ‘what all guys do’ than to make my girlfriend feel secure and happy?’

You wrote that it does not harm your relationship but actually it does. It has pushed your girlfriend to become a control freak. In turn, you are resenting the control, and you have started to wonder whether the relationship will be doomed.

The two of you also need to discuss the amount of personal space you each need and how to respect this.

For her to phone and text you during work hours is disruptive, and likewise your claiming your ‘right of all guys’ does not build trust between the two of you.

So a calm dialogue about what your values, boundaries and agreements are can set your relationship back on track to trust and appreciate one another and make each other happy.

Johanna

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Lone l y in Bangko k I’VE been in Bangkok for a while now, and I’m getting desperate: I can’t seem to fit in.

Neither at my work place nor in the clubs I have joined. Most people I’ve met have a completely different outlook on life, with different values, and even a different sense of humour! They are not the kind of people who were my friends at home.

If I follow my own nature, I am afraid of becoming very isolated. If I desperately try to fit in, I get very uneasy and, in a way, I feel lonely too…

Is there anything I can do?

Kristina, 42, from Sweden

Dear Kristina,

■ Your letter reminded me a little bit of everyone I’ve known here, but it also reminds me of an episode of the Simpsons – and of course the heroine is Lisa Simpson, the eight year old girl who is already an independent individual. In the episode, she is trying to prepare for meeting a new group of girls and she is desperate to fit in. Her mother tells her “just be yourself.”

Lisa looks at her scornfully and says: “I tried that for eight years, and it didn’t work.” She then employs the opposite strategy, dresses and talks like her target group, and makes a lot of friends! (only to be tripped up later, I think, by an incident that brings out her true convictions).

The reason I am mentioning this is not because I don’t take your problem seriously – on the contrary, the fact that it crops up in The Simpsons shows that it is pretty important, and pretty much global.

Beyond the sadness of feeling lonely and not finding friends who deeply resonate with us, our need to fit in is a survival need, and our fear of exclusion comes from not being able to survive without the tribe on a hostile Savannah.

The tigers will eat us.

This is why our feelings are so strong, and so desperate. On the other hand, being ourselves is also about survival, but in a different way. If we have to pretend,

if we have to hide who we really are, it puts a lot of pressure on the cohesion of our self, our identity. We are in danger of disintegrating, and we can develop emotional and mental health symptoms.

We will be torn apart inside.

So, this looks pretty bleak, doesn’t it?

Strategy 2: Be yourself There are literally hundreds of different interest groups in Bangkok, and many more opportunities to meet people by joining activities of your choice. Again, as many people find here, the effort is well worth it. It can be an exciting journey all in itself, and there will be a little tribe that will welcome you just as you are. If you really don’t find it among the hundreds of options, there is even Strategy 3.

Strategy 3: Make your own You can always start your own group, many people do. Others will now try to fit in with you.

In conclusion I would say that, in Bangkok, both Lisa Simpson and her mother are right: you have a very big playing field for your identity, both to confirm it and to expand it.

Although it feels like it, and the feeling is very real, your life is actually not in danger.

Anette

• Anette Pollner Adv. Dipl. Couns., is one of seven international counsellors at NCS Counseling Center in Saphan Kwai. She trained in London and the US and worked as a staff counsellor at Bart’s Hospital in London.

Well, the good news is that you are not in a Stone Age tribe, and that you are not an eight year old girl in an American cartoon. You live in Bangkok, one of the planet’s mega-cities. This means that you can, if you want, pursue both strategies at once.

Strategy 1: Fit in If you already have a social circle here but feel constricted by their conventions, you could, as an experiment, try to find out if there is anything in you that actually can relate to and enjoy something, anything, really, about that group of people. You could try to focus on that, and see where it gets you. It might be quite interesting, and you might find, as many people do here, that you can expand your horizons and discover aspects of yourself you didn’t even know were there.

For more info: www.ncs-counseling.com Email: anette.p@ncs-counseling.com, Tel: 02 279 8503 Send your problems to: thebigchillimagazine@gmail.com

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Gourmet p Wine and restaurant news

Banyan Tree Bangkok’s Saffron Restaurant will offer a special wine dinner from June 21 - 28. See page 46.

What’s Cooking A round up of this month’s best gourmet deals. Yummy!

Page 46

Meet the chef We speak to Chef Filippo Pagani of Signor Sassi Italian Restaurant Page 62

Dining out

Our favourite restaurants reviewed and listed Page 68 TheBigChilli

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Gourmet

Dining|News

What’s Cooking

Bangkok’s hottest dining deals and news Weekend Spice Market

NOVOTEL BANGKOK ON SIAM SQUARE, THROUGHOUT JUNE

Cakes to go

PATHUMWAN PRINCESS HOTEL, AVAILABLE NOW

■ PIQUANT flavours will come to the fore this month at The Square International Restaurant, where a weekend Spice Market (available for dinner every Sat and Sun) will feature a range of

The taste of Isaan

■ BANANA Cake, Vanilla fruit

FOUR POINTS BY SHERATON BANGKOK, THROUGHOUT JUNE

cake, and Chocolate cake are just a few of the ‘Grandma’s secret recipe’ selections now on offer at t@lobby café. A bargain at just B140 per piece and B650 per pound.

■ THE most popular dishes from northeastern Thailand will be available as part of a special menu served up at Four Points By Sheraton Bangkok’s alfresco dining venue, amBar, until the end of the month. Starting at just B250 per dish, the menu includes Golden fried chicken with dips, Spicy Isaan salad, Isaan sausage, and more.

Sukhumvit 15 ☎ 02 309 3201:fourpointsbangkoksukhumvit.com

444 MBK Centre, Phayathai Road 02 216 3700 :pprincess.com

☎

Thai Wine Dinner

BANYAN TREE BANGKOK, JUNE 21-28

■ SPREAD between the 51st

and 52nd floors of Banyan Tree Bangkok, the elegant Saffron Thai Restaurant could probably pull in diners with its views alone, but a real focus on authentic flavours ensures that, alongside its lofty panoramas, the food’s a highlight too.

Visit between the dates above and you’ll find a special dinner menu (served daily 6pm-11pm) pairing the restaurant’s signature dishes with some of Thailand’s best wines.

21/100 South Sathorn Road :banyantree.com

☎ 02 679 1200

dishes made using spices from all around the world. Highlights include Wok fried fish with fresh herbs and green peppercorn, Spicy lemongrass with prawns, and Poached salmon with jalapeño velouté. The buffet is B950++.

Siam Square ☎ 02 209 8888

:novotelbkk.com

Truffle treat

SOFITEL SO BANGKOK, THROUGHOUT JUNE

■ ALL this month, Park Society’s Chef Paul Smart is cooking up a five-course menu featuring dishes made using the finest black and white truffles from around the world. Highlights include Scallop carpaccio with champagne vinaigrette and black truffle oil; Truffle risotto with sautéed tiger prawn and truffle slice; and Roasted pigeon with garlic puree and Truffle Gnocchi sautéed mushroom, and truffle sauce. B3,999++ per person.

2 North Sathorn Road ☎ 02 624 0000 :sofitel.com

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Dinner with a healthy focus Seafood and wine buffet DUSIT THANI BANGKOK, EVERY THURS

■ THE new Thursday night Seafood Splash Buffet at Pavilion Restaurant offers a wide selection of deep sea treats plus free-flow wine, fruit juices and soft drinks, for just B1,888++ per person. Buffet highlights include Maine lobster and Black mussels.

946 Rama IV Road ☎ 02 200 9000 :dusit.com

RADISSON SUITES BANGKOK SUKHUMVIT, THROUGHOUT JUNE

■ MAUVE restaurant is giving fat the boot this month by serving up a four-course menu specially designed for health conscious diners. Among the options are Homemade salmon whole wheat burger, Pan roasted sea bass, Raspberry parfaits, and Gourmet sorbet with tropical fresh fruits.

B899 per person including a glass of fruit juice. Served daily 6pm-midnight.

23/2-3 Sukhumvit Soi 13 ☎ 02 645 4999 :radisson.com

White asparagus specials

ANANTARA BANGKOK RIVERSIDE RESORT & SPA, UNTIL JUNE 15

■ WHITE Asparagus is the flavour of the month – well, for 15 days at least – at Brio Italian Restaurant, where new Italian chef Michele Laiso will use this coveted vegetable to prepare a seasonal menu featuring dishes such as Capasante e Asparagi of flamed scallops, white asparagus puree and grilled broad beans with baked ricotta; Suppa di Asparagi of white asparagus soup with salmon and mascarpone ravioli; Chargrilled Australian beef tenderloin, served with white asparagus, cherry tomatoes, parmesan and salsa verde; and more. Dishes start at B360++.

Tapas and wine

257/1-3 Charoennakorn Road :bangkokriverdining.com

■ THE Grand Millennium Sukhumvit is well known for

One for crab lovers

GRAND MILLENNIUM SUKHUMVIT HOTEL, AVAILABLE NOW

offering great value at its buffets and brunches, and that reputation is set to be further cemented at Tapas Y Vino, where a nightly ‘Tapas Flow’ promotion is now on offer featuring all-you-can-eat Spanish Tapas and free-flow house wine for just B950++ per person. Available daily 6pm-11pm.

30 Sukhumvit 21 (Asoke) ☎ 02 204 4158 :grandmillenniumskv.com

Wines on promotion

THE SQUARE RESTAURANT, UNTIL SEPT 30

■ OENOPHILES can satisfy their palates without emptying their wallets at Novotel Bangkok Platinum, where a free-flow white and red Californian wine (“Summerfield Chardonnay 2009” and “Summerfield Cabernet Sauvignon 2009,” respectively) deal is now available daily for B500 per person (served for two hours anytime between 6pm-10pm). Promotional wines imported from Australia, Chile, South Africa, and California are also available at B1,200 per bottle.

Phetchaburi Road ☎ 02 160 7100 ext. 8702 :novotelbangkokplatinum.com

☎ 02 476 0022

EASTIN GRAND HOTEL SATHORN, UNTIL AUG 31

■ THE Glass House Restaurant has brought back its popular Crab Dinner Buffet featuring a wide variety of crabs both steamed and on ice. Highlights include Giant Alaskan snow and opilio crab, Chilean king crab, Atlantic brown crab and Dungeness crab, plus Crispy fried soft-shell crab in Japanese breadcrumbs, Spicy Singaporean-style chili crab, plump crab cakes, stuffed crab shells and more. Alongside the crab buffet is a generous selection of international dishes, seafood, and authentic Thai, Japanese, and Chinese favourites. Served Fri-Sat evenings. B1,599 ++ per person (half price for kids under 16).

33/1 South Sathorn Road :eastingrandsathorn.com

☎ 02 210 8100

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Gourmet

Dining|News

L’Apart turns one SOFITEL BANGKOK SUKHUMVIT, VARIOUS DATES

■ TRENDY loft-inspired bar and restaurant L’Apart

will mark its first anniversary on Fri Jun 21 with a ‘Magnifique Party for Friends’ featuring a sexy CanCan Cabaret, a pop-opera performance VIVA!, and music from a saxophone duo. A three-course set menu will be available priced B2,900 per person including half a bottle of Lombard Champagne. You can also catch Viva! performing on June 4, 11, 18, 25 from 7.30pm-9pm.

189 Sukhumvit Road Soi 13-15 ☎ 02 126 9999 :sofitel.com

All kinds of Roti

RAMADA PLAZA MENAM RIVERSIDE BANGKOK, THROUGHOUT JUNE

■ INDIAN flatbreads will be the star of the show at The Terrace@72 Buffet Restaurant this month. During buffet lunch and dinner, Indian Chef Pandey will flip up sweet and savory options such as Roti with sweet condensed milk (a local favourite), and Roti topped with curried chicken.

2074 Charoenkrung Road 02 688 1000 :ramadaplazamenamriverside.com

☎

Tastes of the Loire Valley

LA VUE, AVAILABLE NOW

■ THROUGHOUT June, La Vue restaurant at Siam@Siam Design Hotel & Spa is offering a special four-course menu featuring dishes inspired by the Loire valley region. Highlights include Tender calf’s neck and shank seasoned in morel mushroom and truffle cream sauce and Frenchstyle pear tart. B3,200 per set.

☎ 02 217 3070

856 Rama 1 Road :siamatsiam.com

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Afternoon delights

ZHENG HE LOUNGE, AVAILABLE NOW

■ SAVOUR a delicious selection of sweet treats prepared by gifted Pastry Chef Kritkhajorn Photin and his team at The Eugenia Hotel & Spa. The hotel’s new High Tea set features an array of homemade mini French desserts including scones, cheesecakes, brownies and a choice of premium Ronnefeldt tea, all served in a bygone era ambience. Available daily from 2pm-5.30pm.

B350++ per person and B420++ per 2 persons.

Sukhumvit 31 ☎ 02 529 9011 :theeugenia.com

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"For A Healthy Life Style"

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Gourmet

Dining|News

Hokkaido Food Festival NORTHGATE RATCHYOTHIN, UNTIL JUNE 30

■ JAPANESE food fans may want to check out the Hokkaido Food Festival at Two Forty Eight Café & Bar. Until the end of the month, a special menu will be on offer featuring dishes such as Seared Hokkaido scallops wrapped in bacon with wilted spinach; Spaghetti with scallops; and Grilled Shima Hokke fish teriyaki with rice and miso soup, and many more.

Available daily 6pm-10pm. Dishes start at B290++. ☎02 939 7949 :northgatebangkok.com

Bangkok Chefs Charity Gala Dinner MANDARIN ORIENTAL, BANGKOK, JULY 17

■ DINING events in Bangkok don’t come much bigger than this fabulous feast arranged by Gourmet One. Held for the fifth consecutive year in the Royal Ballroom of Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, the event will see 26 Executive Chefs from 25 leading hotels in Thailand and Thai Airways International joining together to cook up a grand dinner in the presence of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. Part of the proceeds of the event, which last year raised 12 million baht, will be donated to the Border Patrol Police Schools under the Patronage of Her Royal Highness, as well as to several projects established to improve the lives of underprivileged children in the remote Amphur Omkoy in Chiang Mai. Tickets are B12,500 per seat (for tables of 10).

48 Oriental Avenue ☎ 02 659 9000 :mandarinoriental.com/bangkok (For more information or to book seats, please call Khun Nuntiya Hame-ung-Gull,

☎ 081 732 1018)

Dining up high

GOLDEN TULIP SOVEREIGN HOTEL, BANGKOK, AVAILABLE NOW

■ FOR sky-high dining at excellent value, the Golden Tulip Sovereign’s Sky Lounge is definitely worth a look. All this month a four-course menu is on offer at just B700 per person, or B1,300 per couple (prices include one glass of wine per person).

Among the menu options are Smoked duck breast with orange mustard sauce, and crispy lettuce; Mushroom cream soup; Oven baked chicken and pork medallion market vegetable mushroom cream sauce; and Mango croquant.

Rama 9 Road ☎ 02 641 4777:goldentulipbangkok.com 50

Indulge in chocolate PULLMAN BANGKOK KING POWER, AVAILABLE NOW

■ CHOCOLATE fans will find plenty to please them at Glen Bar, where a new afternoon tea set features White chocolate cheese cake, Milk chocolate mousse with hazelnut praline sauce, Deep dark chocolate cake, and more home-made treats.

Available daily 2.30pm-5pm. B350 per set.

B450 with a glass of sparkling wine.

8-2 Rangnam Road, Thanon Phayathai Ratchathewi 02 680 9999 :pullmanbangkokkingpower.com

☎

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Gourmet

Dining|News

Bangkok’s growing taste for Dean & DeLuca

■ BANGKOK’s insatiable appetite for imported tastes and flavors is reflected in the success of Dean & DeLuca, the New York-inspired chain of upscale grocery stores and restaurants located at Narithiwas Road and Park Ventures on the corner of Wireless and Ploenchit. Together, these outlets are the chain’s busiest, attracting more customers than any of its 37 stores in the US, Tokyo, Seoul, Dubai, Kuwait and Singapore.

Dean & DeLuca are now poised to expand in Thailand, with a new and much bigger shop in the huge MahaNakhon Project, next to its current Narathiwas operation, which will open in September, and in the Central Embassy project on Ploenchit by mid-December. Talks are also going on with the Emporium shopping mall for a 2014 opening and a site on Thonglor.

A major feature of the Narathiwas shop will be a 700 sq m market, or Cube, much like “a Harrods food hall,” according to John Barton, the company’s Senior Operations Manager. Other highlights include a demo kitchen and pizza bakery.

Interestingly, other upmarket outlets have been invited to join the same complex. These include Café Vogue and a restaurant by highly rated French chef Joel Robuchon.

The Central Embassy project will be a

“hybrid” Dean & DeLuca, featuring a café and food hall. The company markets over 500 of its own brand products, including coffee, pastas, olive oil, vinegar, rice, chocolates, fruits and nuts, and accessories like coffee mugs and kitchen equipment made in the US. It also buys its own wine, with virtually all of it coming from California.

Spearheaded by a French chef, Dean & DeLuca is also a popular dining venue, where 40% of what it offers is new on the menu every 12 weeks. One of its creations, a mango and sticky rice milkshake, is now sold in its Singapore and US stores.

Customers at the Park Ventures outlet are divided equally between expatriates and Thais, says John, while the Narithiwat store is mostly Thais.

UK-born John has over 25 years’ experience in the retail industry across the globe. For the last eight years, he has been responsible for building the Dean& DeLuca license in Thailand and the Middle East. He also spent 17 years as a Commercial Operations Manager in both Marks and Spencer and Tesco as well as two “fantastic years” as commercial director of Middlesbrough football club.

Water Library to open five new outlets

■ HIGHLY rated restaurant brand Water Library is undergoing a significant expansion with the addition of five new venues in Bangkok during the next couple of months. Currently it operates two restaurants in Soi Thonglor and Chamchuri Square on Rama 4.

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Its new sites include the exclusive dining venue now under construction on the forecourt of the offices at Central World, where its neighbours will include Hyde & Seek and a steak house from Australia, and also at the Central Embassy on Ploenchit.

Water Library is also planning further expansion in Myanmar, according to new CEO Frank Cloven, where it will open a hotel, restaurant and other projects.

Cloven is the former longtime general manager of the Landmark Bangkok.

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Gourmet

Dining out|Shintori

Review

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Shintori

Shanghai’s ‘Japanese Art Cuisine’ arrives in Bangkok in style

THE latest stage in Zen World’s amazing collection of dining venues, which began earlier this year with the opening of Zense on its 17th floor and culminates next month with the opening of a rooftop bar called Heaven, is the launch of Shintori.

Noted for its hip décor and vibe just as much as for its food, Shintori is a gem of a restaurant from China, where its Shanghai flagship is set within an old Chinese theatre, complete with an open kitchen on what was once the main stage, and is regarded as one of the city’s most striking restaurants.

So when news filtered down that Zen World would be opening a Shintori (motto: ‘Japanese Art Cuisine’) right here in Bangkok, local foodies rightly rejoiced.

But there was some trepidation: perched atop a shopping mall, would the Bangkok iteration really be able to match the high standards set by its mother restaurant in Shanghai?

The answer, we’re happy to report, is a resounding yes.

In a bid to capitalize on Bangkok’s fast evolving and maturing dining scene, Zen World recently established a whole new division called Dining Zensations, and it’s this gourmet-focused department that has been involved in piecing together

a restaurant that not only captures the magic of the Shanghai Shintori, but which also builds on it.

Ride the elevator to Zen World’s 18th floor and you’re met by a minimalist foyer decorated in true Feng Shui fashion with a large, circular marble sculpture.

This centerpiece, too big to fit in the building’s lift, had to be carried up the stairs to its current position by a team of hardy builders. If that sounds like it must have taken a lot of effort, wait till you see inside.

Beyond a huge, sliding wooden door awaits a spacious dining room that is so achingly hip, it’s hard not to be wowed by it. Designed by Thai architect Duangrit Bunnag, Shintori revels in its own minimalist splendor – a black and grey colour scheme, polished concrete walls, a sweeping glass wall offering a panoramic view of downtown Bangkok, and a large open kitchen (run by a team of 24 chefs, no less, two of whom have come straight from Shintori Shanghai).

Carefully angled spotlighting beams down onto the dark-wooden tables ensuring that each dish you order is illuminated like a celebrity on stage. And the food, some of the finest contemporary Japanese cuisine you’ll find in Bangkok,

certainly deserves this star treatment.

With a focus on fresh ingredients, the menu is simple and offers a decent selection of sushi and sashimi plus creative à la carte dishes presented with a touch of European flair. So while you can enjoy a premium Sashimi platter, featuring 15 varieties of fish for B1,100+, and a Tempura set featuring five fish and six types of veggies for B680+, you can also opt to enjoy unique creations such as Shintori’s signature Foie gras on radish (B950+), and Beef steak on Pu-leaf (Australian beef ) at B750+. Sushi rolls start at a reasonable B250+.

Rounding out the menu are a range of innovative desserts such as Tofu cheese cake (B280+), and you’ll also find a long list of inventive sake cocktails to slurp, like the refreshing Gojira – made with sake, midori, syrup, lime juice, lychee juice, and mint leaves. Sake on its own starts from B185+, wine at B250+, and beers at B150+.

On our visit to the restaurant our seating options were limited to the main dining room. Later this month, however, the restaurant will open four private dining villas, three of which will hug the side of the building and promise amazing views. We can’t wait to check them out.

Zen World, level 18 (CentralWorld. Between Chidlom and Siam BTS stations. Accessed by Skywalk). Open daily 5.30pm till late. Ample parking available

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☎ 02 100 9000:shintoribangkok.com

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Gourmet

Dining out|The Coffee Club

Review

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The Coffee Club

Australia’s largest home-grown café group brings its ‘good food, great service, and excellent coffee’ to Bangkok. And it’s a winner

IF The Coffee Club had rules like Chuck Palahniuk’s fictional Fight Club, its first and only rule would be that you can talk about The Coffee Club. Why? Well, like succulent gossip shared over a steaming cup of Joe, this place is definitely worth talking about.

One of Australia’s largest and fastest growing locally owned coffee groups, The Coffee Club first opened in Brisbane 22 years ago and now operates over 288 outlets in Australia, 35 in New Zealand, three in China, two in Egypt, one in New Caledonia and now 12 in Thailand (with a further 20 planned over three years).

The Coffee Club’s rapid rise to success stems from its unwavering approach to quality – its UTZ certified coffee is made by trained baristas using premium beans sourced from the coffee growing regions of South America, Asia and Africa, so a superior cup of coffee is guaranteed. What’s more, coffee isn’t the only highlight on offer.

Since opening its flagship branch in Thailand earlier this year at Major Ekkamai, The Coffee Club has also quickly caught the attention of local foodies by serving up some of the tastiest all-day breakfasts to be found in Bangkok.

Omelettes, pancakes, breakfast wraps, the classic big breakfast, and The Coffee Club’s signature Eggs Benedict are just a few of the mouthwatering options on offer.

Then there’s The Coffee Club’s regular à la carte menu, which offers dishes such as Grilled chicken and avocado (B180), Caesar salad (B180), and Classic fish and chips (B215); a special menu which changes every four months (and which currently features Watermelon and feta salad, B225; Barramundi Asian coleslaw, B450; Spanish potato hash, B200; and Chicken burger with chilli sauce, B220) as well as a good selection of Kids’ meals, Gourmet sandwiches, Grilled meats, Pasta dishes, Asian favourites, and Desserts – all made

using top quality ingredients and offered at great value for money.

Each Coffee Club venue boasts a chic, modern design, and captures the essence of coffee and cream through a colour scheme which blends dark browns and whites (think mahogany furniture, polished tile floors, cozy beige couches, and the odd splash of colourful art). The atmosphere is relaxed, warm and inviting – just like any good coffee shop should be.

The Coffee Club branches can be found in Pattaya, Phuket, Koh Samui and Chiang Mai. In Bangkok, in addition to the Major Ekkamai branch, The Coffee Club also operates a small shop at Suvarnabhumi Airport and last month opened a new café (pictured here) on the ground floor of the Anantara Baan Rajprasong Bangkok (a short walk from Rajdamri BTS). Here guests can also enjoy their drinks and meals on a leafy outdoor terrace.

Free WiFi is offered at all branches.

Wine, beer and cocktails are also available.

Open daily. For more info see :facebook.com/thecoffeeclubthailand

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Gourmet

Dining out|District Grill

Not to miss!

Until June 30, tables of two or more diners get a free bottle of house wine with their meal!

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Review

The District Grill Room and Bar

Succulent steaks, superb seafood, and great service await at this chic new restaurant at the Bangkok Marriott Hotel Sukhumvit

INSPIRED by the style and cuisines of the Meatpacking District of New York City, The District Grill Room and Bar is a must visit for steak and seafood fans looking for superior cuts of meat at great value for money – and a very different atmosphere.

Capturing the essence of its Big Apple muses, this delightful restaurant is set within a contemporary dining room decorated with earthy, dark brown tones.

A high ceiling is reined in by carefully subdued lighting, and the ambiance is made even cosier thanks to the open kitchen, where a large grill with flickering flames spills dancing shadows across the room.

A chalkboard hanging above the kitchen depicts the various cuts of meat available. If that doesn’t whet your appetite, the seafood on ice near the bar might: a who’s who of deep sea luminaries, with options such as Seasonal oysters, King crab, and Boston lobster.

When it comes to the menu, quality over quantity is the mantra here.

Presented on a single page, the options are

split between Appetizers (11 to choose from. Ranging B290++ to B980++), Seafood Bar (starts at B380++), and Grilled meat, poultry and seafood (starts at B690++ for Tasmanian salmon). A selection of sauces and side dishes are also available, plus a choice of homemade desserts.

Highly recommended to start proceedings is the Ice District Heights (B2,800++), a signature dish which features lobsters, prawns, oysters, scallops and crab served on top of a layer of ice with a choice of vinegar or Thai seafood sauce. Alternatively, for the same price, you can opt for a hot version featuring grilled lobster, prawns, scallops, fish, chips and lemon.

The Classic whole leaf romaine Caesar Salad (B400) is another great appetizer, featuring a whole romaine lettuce (wonderfully crispy) drizzled with a Caesar sauce that’s been specially prepared to be lightly textured with an almost foam-like consistency.

Moving onto mains, the big draw here of course are the steaks. The chefs use Diamantina Angus from the gulf of

Bangkok Marriott Hotel Sukhumvit, Sukhumvit Soi 57. Open daily 5pm-11pm

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north Queensland, Australia, and offer cuts of Rib eye (300g/600g.B1,350++/ B2,350), Sirloin (B250g. B1350), and Tenderloin (180g. B1,350). We went for the 300g Rib eye, which arrived cooked to perfection and was simply delicious paired with a portion of Gratin dauphinoise, all drizzled with peppercorn sauce.

If you don’t fancy beef on your visit to the restaurant, though, the Australian lamb rack (B980++) and Sea bass (B780) are both great substitutes.

Aside from the high quality food, another highlight at The District is the service. Swift and efficient, it’s also genuinely friendly.

Need help selecting a wine pairing?

No problem. Your waitress will escort you to the wine cellar for a tasting. Want to know more about a particular dish? She’ll dispenses this information with ease.

It’s all very impressive, and ensures that whether you’re visiting The District for a date, business dinner, or get together with friends, you can expect nothing less than a great evening out.

☎ 02 797 0130 :marriott.com

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Gourmet

Dining out|Roni Cafe

Review

Kopi Luwak at Roni Café

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Premium drinks and delicious desserts are the order of the day at Chili La Roni’s new coffee shop

CHILI La Roni restaurant may be best known for serving huge portions of Thai and Italian fusion dishes in a tranquil Balinese garden-style setting, but another reputation is already starting to brew – this one based around coffee.

Early last month the restaurant extended its operations by opening Roni Café, an onsite coffee shop specializing in top quality coffee imported by The Royal Coffee brand. Among its selections, the coveted Kopi Luwak from Indonesia.

Known as the world’s most expensive coffee, Kopi Luwak, or civet coffee, is the name given to coffee beans which have been eaten and excreted by the Asian Palm Civet – a cat-like creature believed to eat only the best coffee beans, and whose digestive mechanisms help to improve a coffee’s flavour by reducing

bitterness (don’t worry, the beans are washed and dried before they’re used).

The secret to a great cup of coffee doesn’t just lie with the beans, of course, but also with the talents of the barista in charge of brewing them. To ensure that all visitors to Roni Café would enjoy the coffee at its premium, the owners employed the talents of Khun Chant Khamthongthae, a.k.a. Ajarn Por, a coffee specialist and barista trainer who’s spent the last 10 years running his own coffee shop in Sydney, Australia, where in 2012 he was named “Gourmet Grand Final Barista Champion.”

To get Roni Café’s staff up to speed, Ajarn Por took them under his wing and introduced them to the art of making great coffee – heating cups before using them, selecting only the finest beans (and knowing

1055/7 Moo 12, Srinakarin Road, Bangna (next to the Maple Hotel). Open daily 11am-midnight.

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how to store them), paying attention to each step of the brewing process to ensure everything’s just perfect, and, in a final flourish, even how to create cute decorations in the froth on a milky cappuccino.

The best thing about the coffee shop being part of Chili La Roni is that you can enjoy your coffee alongside the restaurant’s desserts and pastries. Always a great pairing is the Tiramisu (B180), practically the size of a brick, albeit a very tasty one. The buttery croissants are a real treat too.

As with the restaurant, visitors to Roni Café can opt to sit in a leafy garden decked out with Balinese statues, on stools at the bar, or in the air conditioned comfort of an old Thai house.

Coffee starts at B60 for a standard latte, B1,500 for a Kopi Luwak. ☎ 02 743 0901-2 :chililaroni.com

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Gourmet

Chefs in focus|Filippo Pagani Big Mac or Street noodles?

Street noodles

Favourite Italian dish?

All dishes made with simple ingredients and with well defined tastes

SERVING UP Filippo Pagani

The Executive Chef of Signor Sassi Bangkok talks about his favourite ingredients, the quality of kitchen staff in Thailand, and the worst habits of local diners

Favourite Bangkok restaurant?

Signor Sassi, of course

What’s next for Italian cuisine?

More delicious surprises for diners to enjoy

Quality of kitchen staff in Thailand?

Good if they have good leadership

Chef Filippo in focus

Favourite French dish?

Cassoulet (with duck confit)

■ BORN 39 years ago in a small town near Venice, Chef Filippo came from a long line of chefs. He never went to school to acquire his culinary skills, but developed them by watching his older relatives cook at home. By the age of six, he was able to cook a complete meal.

Taking his love of cooking into adulthood, Chef Filippo went on to work in some of Italy’s best hotels and restaurants, and as his talent developed, he climbed the culinary ladder from trainee to executive chef.

As Chef Filippo’s career advanced, his culinary talents did not go unnoticed. In late 2008, the San Carlo Restaurants Group, the owner and the operator of Signor Sassi London, one of the most successful Italian restaurant operations in the UK, approached Chef Filippo Cool tempered with an offer to join the group as its Executive Development Chef. or volatile in the Working in this role, Chef Filippo not only improved existing kitchen? menus and created new dishes for the restaurants owned by the I like to live in a world group, but he also opened more than five restaurants in the UK of fi reworks and abroad, including Signor Sassi Bangkok. Chef Filippo now works exclusively at the Bangkok restaurant as its full-time executive chef.

37th floor of Anantara Bangkok Sathorn

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Most difficult dish you’ve ever had to cook?

A dish for a lady I was trying to impress…haha. But seriously, when I was younger I found Filet Wellington complicated to make Favourite ingredients?

Fish and pasta

Worst habit of local diners?

Saying that food is salty when it’s not Are kitchen staff in Thailand paid well enough?

In my kitchen, quite proportional to life in Thailand

Bangkok diners – do they really appreciate good cooking?

The ones who have travelled a lot understand what is good and what is not

☎ 02 210 9011, 02 286 9688 :signorsassi.co.uk

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Gourmet

Pics|Events

Gourmet scrapbook Foodie functions in focus

French cheese master at Flow ■ CHEESE addicts were given a rare treat last month when French cheese master Claude Lauxerrois came to Bangkok to showcase his skills from May 15-19 at the Millennium Hilton Bangkok’s Flow Restaurant. The promotion was launched with a special event attended by guests of honor HSH Prince Chatrichalerrn Yugala, Dr. Suvit Yodmani, and Khunying Songsuda.

Celebrating 10 years of Cantonese excellence ■ CHEF Chu Hoi Hong marked his 10th anniversary of service as Executive Chef of Imperial China Restaurant, Imperial Queens’s Park Hotel Bangkok, by inviting a large group of VIP guests and media to enjoy a special dinner of his signature Cantonese dishes. Until June 9, a special 10-course menu featuring the dishes is available at the restaurant priced B10,000 per table. Highlights include Braised goat meat with tofu sheet and brown sauce in clay pot, and Baked garoupa with celery.

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Dining|Recipe

cut out and keep

Gourmet

Recipe of the month Namm prik ka pi gub pla tu

Khun Pairos Prapairuk, Executive Chef at Miss Siam Restaurant, reveals how to make his signature Thai spicy shrimp paste dip served with fried mackerel and mixed fresh vegetables Ingredients (serves 2-3) •15g fresh chilli pepper (bird’s eye chilli) •50g Solanum (Ma-euk) •30g fermented shrimp paste, roasted •35g lime juice •15g garlic •15g pea-size eggplants (Makheua phuang) •24g ground dried shrimp •15g fish sauce •40g coconut palm sugar •25g orange juice

Method For Thai spicy shrimp paste dip 1. Put some garlic and shrimp paste in a mortar and pound until thoroughly mixed.

2. Add ground dried shrimp and pound to mix in. Add chilli pepper, ma-euk, pea-size eggplants, then mix together.

3. Flavour with coconut palm sugar, fish sauce, lime juice and orange juice.

4. Spoon the spicy shrimp paste dip into a serving bowl. Serve with boiled or raw carved vegetables/Thai herbs e.g. winged beans, string beans, bamboo shoots, ginger roots, cucumber, etc.

5. Serve together with deep fried mackerel and omelet with climbing wattle (Thai-style omelet with cha-om).

For special vegetable toppings 1. Boil undiluted coconut milk.

2. Add rice flour and salt, then stir them together.

3. Put on top of vegetables. Serve with Thai spicy shrimp paste dip and fried mackerel.

About the chef

uk,

pair Chef Pairos Pra 66

KHUN Pairos Prapairuk, also known as Chef Bombay, is the Executive Chef at Miss Siam Restaurant, Hua Chang Heritage Hotel, Bangkok. After kick-starting his career at The Mandarin Oriental Bangkok’s famed Sala Rim Nam, Chef Bombay went on to work for the Samed Resorts Group as Group Thai Chef of its seven properties; and prior to joining Miss Siam he was the Chef Instructor of Thai cuisine at Le Cordon Bleu Dusit Culinary School. The 40 year old chef enjoys a sterling reputation for the high quality of his cuisine, which adheres to ancient recipes and is made using only the finest ingredients available.

400 Phayathai Road, Pathumwan ☎ 02 217 0777 :huachangheritagehotel.com

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Dining|BB&B

Gourmet

Bangkok Beefsteak & Burgundy The BB&B dining group enjoys beef and wine and all things fine at Artur

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NCE again we assembled at Artur to revisit one of our favourite lunch haunts. As ever, it was a tight squeeze to fit in our group of 18 diners.

Pre-lunch drinks included González Byass Tio Pepe Xérés. Bruno Huber, our wine spokesman for the day, sadly informed us that the Portuguese economy is faltering badly and the soleras dating back to 1844 may close soon. To accompany the sherry, we found the canapés, Home-made chicken liver pate, with marinated mushrooms and toasted country bread, and there was Laroche Chablis 2011 on hand for the non-sherry drinkers.

Artur Kluczewski was present to introduce to newcomers his specialty, a Hen’s egg with a curry surprise lurking at the bottom of the egg white filling.

There followed Pan-seared foie gras with peach, red fruits reduction. Knowing what was to go after, I tried to find a small portion but without success. Robert Klingenfus Riesling 2011 followed; there was some initial disappointment with this but once the foie gras arrived, it proved to be a good match.

The White asparagus season has started and we celebrated this with an Asparagus cream soup with San Daniele Ham. Food spokesman Andrew Curtin

had praise for this and also for the foie gras. The Babich Winemakers Reserve Merlot 2003 which came with this was a disappointment for most of us, lacking body.

The pièce de résistance came in the form of Côte de bœuf, vegetable and mushroom pithiviers, gratin dauphinois potatoes and ‘assorted

sauces.’ As ever, Artur and his willing Chef, Olivier Castella, made the job of carving this look deceptively simple. To go with this, we served Sandalford Reserve Shiraz 2004 which never fails to please: ‘Impressive smoked meats and raspberry aromas lead to a big spicy mouthful with red fruit, black pepper spice and deep-set grape tannins in a finish that lasts minutes.’ Andrew and Bruno found no fault with either of the choices.

Pre-dessert Espuma followed by Artur’s Ice nougat and apricot coulis brought the meal to a tasty and filling end. We found just enough space to finish with Lavazza Coffee or Ronnefeldt Tea served with Artur’s Traditional

Madeleines and a glass or two of Calvados de Maître Pierre. As always, we thanked our attentive servers and congratulated Artur, Olivier and their team for their efforts.

9 Soi Tonson, Ploenchit Road :arturrestaurant.com

☎ 02 658 6288

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Gourmet

Where to eat

Recommended restaurants and bars Spanish cuisine

Thai cuisine

Rioja

Spanish on 4

Basil

Benjarong

Spain at this cozy restaurant featuringauthentic cuisine from Rioja province. The gazpacho, a cold pureed vegetable soup, is perfect for Bangkok’s hot and humid weather. Other delights include imported Spanish ham and some great seafood. The set lunches are great bargains. A large variety of Spanish wines are available and demonstrate why wines from the Iberian Peninsula are often a bargain.

ever popular Tapas Cafe (Sukhumvit Soi 11) is a great place to enjoy lunch or dinner with friends or a loved one.

The menu offers a wide range of Spanish Tapas, imported hams and cheeses, as well as weekly changing regional specials. The restaurant is modern and airy with a busy informal atmosphere and attracts a diverse cosmopolitan crowd. Good value and authentic Spanish food.

interior, but the décor is still unmistakably Thai.There are several private rooms, making it good for a business lunch or small private function.The menu is extensive, but emphasizes light and fresh items that are easy to eat.The menu indicates the level of spiciness of each dish.The impeccable service and pleasant surroundings make this one of the best places on Sukhumvit Road for Thai food.

On Sundays, Basil and its neighbouring restaurants participate in the Sheraton’s renowned Jazz Brunch Buffet.

of the flagship hotel in the Thai owned Dusit chain. This place has got to be good and it doesn’t disappoint. The interior is substantial with subdued lighting, heavy chairs and carpeting - definitely not a place for singlets and flip-flops.

A large window looks out at a waterfall with outdoor seating surrounding it. The menu consists primarily of Royal Thai cuisine dishes, although less august items are also available.

The wine list is excellent and the service impeccable.

•Enjoy a taste of northern

Ploenchit Rd, Central department store side, (adjacent to BTS Chidlom), 02 251 5761 :riojath.com

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•This sister branch of the

78 Silom Soi 4. Opposite Soi Convent (BTS Saladaeng), 02 632 9955. :spanishon4.com

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•This restaurant has a modern •The flagship restaurant

Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, Sukhumvit Soi 12 (BTS Asoke or MRT 02 649 8366 Sukhumvit)

Dusit Thani Hotel, Junction Silom and Rama IV Rds, (BTS Saladaeng or MRT Silom), 02 200 9000

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☎

Tapas Café

Patara

Spanish Tapas restaurant is comfortable and lively and busy every night. Every dish on the menu has its own unique and delicious flavors – Embutidos Mixtos (A selection of Spanish ham and sausages); Gambas al Ajillo (Prawns in spicy garlic sauce); Chiperones Plancha (Grilled baby squid).

Simply close your eyes and pick dishes at random; with tastes this good, you can’t go wrong.

worldwide chain operated by S&P of Thailand, Patara offers delicious Thai dishes cooked in a contemporary style. The spices, flavours and aromas are unmistakably Thai, but the food is unique without going overboard. Salient examples include the Slices of Raw Tuna in a Lime and Lemongrass Vinaigrette, and Braised New Zealand Lamb in Massaman Curry. Patara is modern, relatively small and blessed with lots of parking.

•Bangkok’s first authentic

Sukhumvit Soi 11 (Nana BTS), 02 651 2947 :tapasiarestaurants.com

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•The Bangkok outlet of a

375 Soi Thonglor 19, Sukhumvit 55, 02 185 2960 :patarathailand.com

☎

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French cuisine

American cuisine

Lyon

Le Normandie

Hard Rock Café

chugging along, fuelled by a group of regulars who continue returning to its homely comforts. Although a portion of the menu changes regularly, several signature dishes have remained for years. Favourites with many customers include Rabbit in white wine sauce, and mushrooms and frog legs sautéed with garlic and dry sherry. There is a walk-in wine cabinet where you can select your wine. The restaurant is located in a converted house with parking out front.

tel restaurants, Le Normandie has been serving fine French food to royalty, tycoons and we ordinary folk since the 1950s. Elegant is the best way to describe the interior and there are great views of the Chao Phraya to boot. World famous chef Guy Martin is a consultant and what comes out of the kitchen reflects his standards. The wine list is wide ranging and features some of the world’s finest and most expensive wines. Jackets are required in the evening and children under 12 aren’t permitted.

no introduction to anyone.

From opening until 10pm, the Bangkok version is a restaurant serving casual American food while lots of good music emits from the sound system, and an attached retail shop does a booming business selling Hard Rock memorabilia. But after 10pm, HRC morphs into a different animal. Patrons under 20 have to leave, live music comes on stage and the place begins to rock. Always popular with Siam Square regulars and tourists from all over the world, this is one of those places everyone has to visit at least once.

The Oriental Bangkok, (BTS Saphan Taksin, then take the hotel’s shuttle 02 659 9000 boat),

Siam Square, Soi 11, (BTS Siam) 02 658 4090-3 :hardrock.com

•This French restaurant keeps •The doyen of Bangkok’s ho- •This international icon needs

Soi Ruam Rudee, 250m from Ploenchit Rd, (BTS Ploenchit), 02 253 8141

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Paris Bangkok

•French food lovers should

definitely take the time to seek out this hidden gem on Sala Daeng 1/1. Located in a wonderfully renovated townhouse with a modern Asian design, it has a French chef with Michelin star experience in the kitchen and offers up a wide range of traditional French dishes with a touch of creative flair. Highlights include Duck leg confit, turnip with honey and rosemary (B390++) and French foie gras ‘Torchon’, onion and ginger marmelade, homemade butter ‘brioche’ (B520++).

120 Soi Saladeang 1/1, Silom, Bangrak, 02 233 1990 email: dany@parisbangkok.com :parisbangkok.com

☎

Roadhouse Barbecue

•Barbecued food from the

American south is a great antidote for the negative impression created by the pap served by American fast food chains. For excellent BBQ ribs, pulled pork sandwiches, hickory smoked beef brisket, and a lot more, try this place. There is a large exhibition kitchen, featuring an open flame BBQ and two wood smokers. Up on the third floor, you can watch sports on big screen TVs, play billiards or throw darts. Lots of fun and loads of good eats.

Junction of Surawongse and Rama IV Rds (MRT Silom or BTS 02 236 8010 Saladaeng) :roadhousebarbecue.com

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Voilà!

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HE Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit’s signature all day dining restaurant Voilà! serves international buffet lunch and dinner to a superb ‘Cuisine on Stage’ concept – which basically means you can order most of your food from live cooking stations, including a Parisian-style rotisserie and an artisan La Cornue stove.

The amazing selection of dishes on offer ranges from fresh seafood and oysters on ice to Parisian bistro selections (soups and casseroles), flame grilled rotisserie meats, Italian pasta, fresh pizzas, Asian favourites, and decadent desserts. A cheese room boasts a wealth of premium quality cold cuts and delightfully pungent cheeses from around the world, and there are even 100 bottles of wine to choose from, including 25 choices by the glass. Spoilt for choice? You bet it.

BuffetlunchisB995;dinnerisB1,450;andSunday Brunch is B3,200 with free-flow champagne, cocktails and house wines; or B2,250 with free flow soft drinks. EveryFriandSatnightaSeafoodBuffetisjust B1,999.

Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit, 189 Sukhumvit Road Soi 13-15 (between Nana and Asok BTS stations).

02 126 9999 ext. Voilà! :sofitel.com

☎

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Feature

Insightt| Insigh |Firefighters Special report

Raided by armed officials, arrested, harassed and living in fear for his life…all because Edwin Wiek rescues wild animals that have been maltreated and neglected by humans

By Colin Hastings

Thanks to volunteers and anonymous sponsors that include former prime ministers, the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand provides medical care and shelter for 400 injured animals. Yet its founder faces constant threats for speaking out against the corruption and illegal trade that is often responsible for the animals’ plight

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HEAD down a quiet country road, some 20 minutes’ drive from Hua Hin, and with a bit of luck you’ll come across a half-hidden enclosure, beside a beautiful Buddhist temple that is attracting the attention of a certain group of foreign visitors just as successfully as the resort’s luxury hotels and sandy beaches lure five-star tourists in their thousands.

This tranquil spot is the humble yet amazing home of the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT), an independent, self-funding organization that rescues maltreated and neglected wild animals, gives them medical treatment, and if necessary provides shelter for the rest of their lives.

Beyond a modest reception area, with its offices, medical facilities and Land Rover, is a vast, thickly forested area given to WFFT by the abbot from the neighbouring temple. It is here that all kinds of animals are rehabilitated in an environment Outspoken - Edwin Wiek that’s as close to their original habitat as possible.

The current list of inmates includes dozens of elephants, bears, gibbons, loris, deer, snakes, pangolins, tortoises and exotic birds. Some are allowed to roam freely, while others are understandably restricted to large cages and aviaries. Past ‘patients’ have included a tiger and a crocodile.

It is the policy of WFFT that only animals that have suffered at the hands of humans are accepted to this Rescue Centre.

This deliberately sets them apart from those that have been

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injured as a result of natural occurrences, such as fights and falls, however severe.

And whenever possible, those animals strong enough after rehabilitation may be released back into the wild.

Looking after damaged animals that no-one else wants is a huge and expensive undertaking. To make it happen WFFT relies on the generosity of sponsors – simple donations in some cases, anonymous contributions from high rollers and even former prime ministers in others – as well as a continual supply of volunteers, mostly from overseas, who are prepared to pay modest board-and-lodging fees to spend between two weeks and six months for the privilege of helping the foundation’s 400 or so animal inmates to recuperate.

Despite the centre’s rudimentary living conditions and hard physical tasks, demand for these ‘voluntary postings” is so high that waiting lists have been formed. People from all over the world now come together to carry out back-breaking but ultimately deeply rewarding work.

The volunteers’ zeal is more than matched by the man responsible for WFFT, Edwin Wiek, a remarkable 47-year-old Dutchman, who gave up a successful career in the fashion business to open the Rescue Centre in 2001. This monumental switch of career followed “a life-changing car accident” that convinced Edwin that he needed to move into “something more meaningful.”

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Killed by poachers; overdose of anesthesia?

A BABY elephant aged between 3-6 months old was found dead in Salakpra forest in Kanchanaburi. Villagers from Wangchan in Wangdong district who went to collect forest products found the calf, which had died only a few hours before. The baby elephant had no wounds or bruises and its body looked normal. Officials from the district enforcement suggested it was maybe killed by a poisonous animal such as a snake. Some organs were removed by livestock department veterinarians for forensic tests in Bangkok.

Local villagers said that in the past poachers had entered the park and had taken baby elephants from the wild for the lucrative tourism trade, ending up as show elephants in elephant camps. Some villagers suspected the calf might have been shot with tranquilizers by poachers and had died of an overdose.

(From the WFFT Website)

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Feature

Insight|Special report

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Today, his personal objectives go way beyond just rescuing and caring for injured animals. He campaigns hard for a ban on hunting and works tirelessly to promote conservation of all Thailand’s natural resources, fauna and flora, as well as the seas and the environment in general.

“We also educate people, particularly children, to stop cruelty to animals. We campaign against the illegal trade in wild animals for the pet industry and discourage the use of animals – especially elephants – for entertaining tourists,” says Edwin.

“Elephants are in trouble in Thailand. After the ban on logging, most of them have ended up being used for the amusement of tourists or have had to make a living begging on the streets of big cities. Walking day and night on these dirty and traffic congested roads is dangerous and unhealthy and very often, these elephants end up being involved in horrific traffic accidents.

“Regrettably, in Thailand, there are no laws to prevent this abuse and mistreatment; therefore there is an urgent need to help these animals.”

He’s a highly vocal critic of animal poaching, illegal trading in wildlife, and regularly speaks out about the corruption at high levels that he believes is mostly responsible for the country’s declining wildlife, often naming and shaming those involved.

Edwin’s views are not universally popular, however, and his enemies are mounting – with chilling consequences. At one point, the Rescue Centre was raided by hundreds of armed officials on suspicion, ironically enough, that it was engaged in illegal wildlife trading.

On other occasions, Edwin and his Thai wife have been arrested on trumped-up charges clearly designed to deter his activities. Not surprisingly, he admits he sometimes fears for his life, but soldiers on regardless, believing that his cause is just and right.

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What has been the worst problem you and your family have faced from the ‘authorities’ with regard to your work?

In general, we hear that many government officials feel we are useful, not just in terms of helping the animals, but also by taking a huge amount of work off their shoulders. Unfortunately, some officials are corrupt – and also occupy high places.

These people may speak out the loudest but use their powers to protect their income and their “friends” involved in the very lucrative illegal wildlife trade. As we are not only helping wildlife in need, but also making people aware of illegal trade and animal cruelty, it makes us a potential target for those people. Physical threats are one thing we face, but the armed raids with 100-150 armed officials to intimidate us and the spreading of lies on what we do is tougher to deal with.

Has your life ever been in danger?

Yes, not a week goes by when I do not look back at what has happened and think that I should stop this kind of work. But then again, crossing a busy street in Bangkok is pretty dangerous as well.

How do you cope?

Although I am not a lawyer, I do know the law quite well. I know my rights and I also know the limitations of “their” powers sometimes better than “they” do. It surely helps to know how far you can go, or how far to cross the boundaries in my situation.

Is Thailand doing enough to protect its wildlife?

No, the illegal wildlife trade is second to the illegal drugs trade only.

The poaching and the trading are like stealing the country’s heritage, but people here face only a maximum penalty of 40,000 baht if caught, while they can make millions in one transaction. If the government was serious they would start to really enforce current laws and increase the penalties to levels where it would really hurt the poachers and traders.

The killing must stop!

(From the WFFT Website): ON March 8, 2013 rangers of Kaengkrachan National park were alerted by people living in Padaeng village, Petchaburi, that they smelled a decomposing animal and went to look for it, finding a dead elephant near the source of the Tamao Creek. The villagers informed the park chief who inspected the site and estimated the elephant was killed 4-5 days earlier.

The dead female elephant was found only a few hundred meters away from the location where only 14 months ago two out of a group five dead elephants were found. These had been killed as poachers took away two elephant calves, one of which was found after a tip-off by our foundation with elephant traders and confiscated four weeks later in Suan Phueng Ratchaburi, while the elephant keeper with the calve was shot dead on the scene.

According to local Thai newspapers and TV news, park officials inspected the corpse of the deceased elephant and immediately concluded that the elephant had been shot by a large automatic weapon, an AK-47, which is often used in the area. They further noted that the elephant was pregnant and was nursing a calf at the time of death. The calf was not found in the nearby area and the park chief suspected the mother was killed to take its calf to sell to a Thai elephant tourist camp where such an elephant calf would fetch as much as US$40,000 (1,200,000 baht) Elephant poachers are known to use anesthesia dart-guns to sedate baby elephants and scare away the herd once the baby is down, shooting and killing any elephant that tries to protect the juvenile elephant from the poachers. Often more than one elephant gets killed in these poaching operations; up to five dead elephants in exchange for one baby have been reported.

From the Bangkok Post, Monday March 11, 2013: “Two men have been arrested for suspected involvement in the shooting of an elephant in Kaeng Krachan National Park. Jopai Wena and Wirat Wena were caught on Saturday close to where the carcass was found. The elephant, a female aged about seven to 10 years, was found dead near a creek in the forest on Friday. It had several wounds, including four suspected bullet holes.”

It is common in Thailand to find criminals within 24 hours after the crime was committed, but for political and PR reasons sometimes “scapegoats” are rounded up to show the authorities are taking things seriously. It is at times hard to believe that two relatively poor men, with no powerful connections or money are able to organize and finance a high profile hunting party which involves the killing, transportation and delivery of extremely large animals such as elephants.

Young live Asian elephants are in high demand for tourism and entertainment parks within Thailand and abroad, with China requesting this year alone almost 40 live elephants from Laos for entertainment parks, and Japan signing an MoU for at least eight elephants for Japanese zoos. Thailand is also being asked by China to supply young elephants to their country, with a demand for over 100 at this time!

African elephants are killed in large numbers (30,000 last year alone) for their ivory, which is laundered in Thailand and several other countries through loopholes of “legalized local trade.

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Feature

Insight|Special report

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Who are the worst offenders in exploiting Thailand’s wildlife?

Unscrupulous businessmen well-connected with corrupt government officials.

How corrupt is the ‘system’? Examples, please

In January 2012, five elephants were found killed in a National Park in Thailand, their calves taken away to tourist elephant camps by wildlife traders, with the assistance of officials. Some officials were hiding for months, and a young man was shot dead as he tried “to run away” with one of the elephant calves in another province. Two poor Karen boys took the heat in the end and were convicted for killing the elephants and trading the calves, a job that would be practically impossible for them to have done on their own.

In February 2012, a slaughterhouse for tigers and other wildlife was found in Bangkok, the owner was arrested and several corpses of wild animals were found and taken by police.

Three months ago, the owner was found not guilty in court, due to “lack of evidence.”

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In April 2012, a man was arrested with 300 protected wild animals in Saraburi. He didn’t have a zoo permit or documents to prove ownership. He still has his animals and was never charged in court. If you need any examples, I can go on and on…

Who, or what, in Thailand has been the most helpful to your cause and your work?

In the past we had a great police chief of the NRECD, Police General Swake Pinsinchai, who not only helped us to fight the illegal wildlife trade but was also very willing to work with NGOs in Thailand and abroad.

The parliamentary committee on Law, Justice and Human Rights has been a great help too. Parliamentarians from all parties have spoken out in favor of our work and have protected us from further attacks over the last year.

Social media and Thai people in general have also been very helpful. It has become very difficult for officials to keep lies going nowadays. The control of the local media is still widespread, but with Thai people being very active online, it has become impossible to keep the truth from the general population. When the WFFT and the Elephant Nature Park were attacked last year, one department manipulated the media with lies and nonsense, but within days through social media the other (true) side of the story was widely covered.

Physical threats are one thing we face, but the armed raids with 100-150 armed officials to intimidate us is tougher to deal with.

“

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Drone uncovers illegal trade IN its fight against illegal wildlife trade, WFFT recently used a small non-military drone to photograph a highwalled compound in northern Thailand which the foundation alleges houses tigers, bears and pangolins. The size of this compound has increased significantly over the past 18 months, claims Edwin Wiek.

“Business must be good and booming,” he says.

How can ordinar y people help?

Spread awareness, change behavior, volunteer your time, or donate.

Is this a lifetime crusade for you?

Ha. It has been like that for the past 14 years only. But yes maybe it will be.

What’s next?

We hope to be able to set up new rescue facilities in Malaysia and Laos. We would also like to do more research on marine mammals in Thailand and find ways to protect them better.

We are currently planning the construction of an open elephant forest, measuring about 10 hectares for a group of rescued and retired elephants. WFFT is the only center that keeps elephants off the chains 24/7 and wants to increase the living space dramatically.

How successful was your recent “drone’ in filming a major illegal wildlife dealer based on the Thai-Laos border?

The use of the “drone” was a great success and it showed us that the illegal wildlife trade is getting completely out of hand.

We photographed compounds of some known wildlife traders and found they have increased dramatically the size of their enclosures for tigers, bears and other animals like pangolins over the last 18 months. It’s a sign their business must be booming.

We also were able to help patrol a part of the river-border to find hideouts near river crossings.

Is the WFFT financially secure?

No, but currently kind of sustainable. With very high costs, two veterinarians, 400 animals to feed, including nine elephants, and a lot of staff (34) working with the animals, helping out elsewhere in Thailand and investigating the trade, we will need a lot more funding to keep going. Advocacy is the key to further success, and for that we will need more financial help.

Need more sponsors?

Yes, we always like to do better and help more animals.

From fashion to animal welfare

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AFTER leaving school at 17, Edwin joined the army. Three years later he began working for a fashion company – his family has a background in this business – and was soon on the road as a buying assistant, designing fashion accessories in several countries in Asia. Moving to Hong Kong at 23, he launched a small company himself, after which he moved to Thailand in 1989 to set up a small factory making fashion accessories. In 1999 Edwin had a life-changing car accident and “wanted to leave something more behind than just a company and some money.” In August 1999, a friend gave him a monkey he no longer wanted. “I started to get in touch with wildlife NGOs as I was looking for a place to take this little guy. There were no proper facilities, so I decided to help and set one up. Things got out of hand you might say, as we now care for over 400 animals fulltime at WFFT, run a mobile clinic and have a fully equipped hospital on-site.”

Wildlife Friends of Thailand Moo 6, Tambon Thamairuak, Amphoe Thayang, 76130 Petchaburi, Thailand.

Tel: 032 458 135 E-mail General Enquiries to: info@wfft.org Email Volunteering Enquiries to: volunteer@wfft.org Email Reports and Complaints to: edwin.wiek@wfft.org Email the Veterinary Department on: vet@wfft.org Skype: wildlife_rescue

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Feature

Insight|Bangkok’s Streets

Back on Bangkok’s streets – the ‘cigarette police’ who target foreign litter bugs

By Maxmilian Wechsler

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BANGKOK’S infamous “litter police” are on the prowl again – and they’re nabbing people who drop something as small as a cigarette butt and imposing a fine of up to 2,000 baht on them.

These “enforcers” are stationed at booths at three locations in central Bangkok along Sukhumvit Road.

Actually, they aren’t even police, but uniformed inspectors attached to the Law Enforcement Department of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), known in Thai as ‘Thetsakij.’ However, tourists commonly mistake them for police because of similar uniform designs, colours and badges.

Thetsakij do nothing to dispel this impression, often telling foreigners they are “city police,” which is another name for the Metropolitan Police.

In reality, the Thetsakij don’t have the same powers as the police and cannot carry firearms.

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Uniformed inspectors known as Thetsakij ignore piles of vendors’ rubbish and motorcyclists using the sidewalk The three booths are located between Sois 2-4, 10-12 and 22-24 (Benjasiri Park).

Each has a banner in Thai that can be translated as: “If you don’t litter, and don’t get caught and fined, Bangkok smiles.” The problem, of course, is that most foreigners walking past cannot read Thai – and these are the very people who are usually apprehended.

One of the responsibilities of the BMA inspectors is to keep Bangkok footpaths and streets clean and tidy. Littering in public places is an offence in nearly every city and offenders are liable to fines.

What’s troubling in this case is that the inspectors seem to only target and apprehend foreigners in three areas that measure several hundred square meters

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out of Bangkok’s total area of about 1,500 square kilometers.

The overwhelming majority of the city’s litterbugs are simply ignored by the Thetsakij. Walk the streets of central Bangkok and beyond, and piles of garbage are more often than not in evidence.

And yet the inspectors home in on foreigners – usually tourists – who drop nothing more than a cigarette butt.

Following criticism in the media in late 2010, Thetsakij reduced their visibility and the pursuit of foreigners in central Bangkok. The BMA put up signs in both English and Thai warning people against littering. They also installed rubbish bins.

Around this time a senior BMA officer told the media that “any city inspector found guilty of extortion will be sacked immediately.” He encouraged “the public and tourists” to call the City Hall hotline at 1555 to report any problems.

Today, when the hotline is dialed, tourists hear a recorded message in Thai, making it very difficult for them to reach the appropriate department. Instead, many register complaints to their respective embassies or on internet forums.

One European ambassador told The BigChilli that his embassy regularly gets complaints about motorcycle-for-rent and jet-ski scams in Pattaya and in Phuket, and also on the activities of the “cigarette police” in Bangkok.

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What Thais say about Thetsakij

Many local shopkeepers, motorcycle taxi drivers and even vendors in the three areas where the inspectors now operate are outraged at the targeting of foreigners.

One shopkeeper with a good view of the street from his shop near Sukhumvit Soi 4 said: “The Thetsakij target foreigners for dropping cigarette butts, pieces of paper or other items on the footpath. I have seen a lot of incidents but I don’t want to have a problem with them.

What they do doesn’t affect my business, so I keep quiet.

“They try to get fines out of foreigners for dropping small items, but they don’t fine street vendors who make the footpath dirty.

If the Thetsakij are really concerned about cleanliness, they should pick up litter left by the vendors on the footpath and throw it in the rubbish bins instead of walking over it,” the shopkeeper said.

“I see the Thetsakij following foreigners every day,” said a motorcycle taxi driver whose stand is located inside Soi 12. “They go after Koreans and Japanese in particular, but also other nationalities.

I never see them catch Thais who litter the pavement. You can see this for yourself. The footpath the Thetsakij walk on is full of paper and other rubbish, but they don’t care. They only want money from the foreigners.

“Different inspectors come here from the Klong Toey district office,” he continued. “They rotate – they also patrol around Soi 4 and Benjasiri Park; and they have a table across the street under the pedestrian bridge over Sukhumvit. This area is under the jurisdiction of BMA’s Watthana District Office.

“I don’t know if the Thetsakij issue a receipt to foreigners after they pay the fine, which is usually 2,000 baht.

“They should be helpful to foreigners, not stalk them and take money from them. This is not good. It’s spoiling the city’s reputation. I wish you good luck and thank you for trying to do something about it,” concluded the motorcycle taxi driver.

During this conversation, an inspector came close to us,

A person caught littering can be apprehended and ordered to pay a fine not exceeding 2,000 baht. The amount is up to the discretion of the inspector.

After paying the fine at a BMA booth, the inspector must issue a receipt.

A long-time BMA inspector attached to the Patumwan District office agreed to an interview on condition of anonymity. In the past he was assigned to catch litterers on the elevated walkway between Siam Discovery Center and MBK. This operation has now been suspended.

He believes that some inspectors continue to target foreigners and in doing so tarnish the reputation of the BMA and Thailand, but said it would be hard to stop them unless the anti-littering campaign is scrapped altogether. The inspector said that the campaign that started in late 2009 was designed to make all 50 Bangkok districts clean and tidy by fining offenders, whether they are Thais or foreigners.

“A person caught littering can be apprehended and ordered to pay a fine not exceeding 2,000 baht. The amount is up to the discretion of the inspector. After paying the fine at a BMA booth − which should be located in every Bangkok district − the inspector must issue a receipt.

“If the offender refuses to pay the fine, we can’t arrest them.

You should ask inspectors at other districts how they handle these kinds of situations. Speaking for myself, when this situation occurred, especially with foreigners, I would give the person a warning, so as not to create a scene, and let them go. However, if the offender causes a disturbance we have to call the local police and let them take charge of the case from then on. We don’t have the authority to arrest anyone. Only city police can do that.

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Inter view with a BMA inspector

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“When I was on this duty, I didn’t try to only nab people when they dropped cigarette butts and make them pay the fine.

My intention was, and still is, to assist the public, and especially tourists. For example, when they approached me with a map and asked for directions, or if they were looking for a good restaurant, a cheap and good hotel, to exchange money or have their photo taken,” said the inspector.

The elevated walkway operation was known to target foreigners who dropped cigarette butts or trash and fine them without issuing a receipt – sometimes threatening them with arrest if they didn’t pay. Despite the removal of the inspectors from outside MBK, the walkway has less litter and rubbish than on the footpaths near Sukhumvit Soi 12, where Thetsakij are stationed these days.

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LITTERING IN SINGAPORE

Feature

Insight|Bangkok’s Streets

Thailand is not the only country where littering is an offence. Singapore, for example, is very strict on litterers, native or foreign. The officers in charge of enforcement will arrest anyone, and not only in tourist areas as is the practice in Bangkok.

The fine for littering is $S300 (about 7,000 baht) for the first offence. For a second offence this rises to $500 (11,800 baht) and the offender must appear in court, where they will most likely also be issued with a Corrective Work Order (CWO). This involves the cleaning of beaches and other public places. The offender must wear a luminous jacket with the CWO insignia, a measure designed to shame him or her.

Two foreigners accused of littering near Soi 12

Motorcycle on the footpath near Benjasiri Park

possibly attracted by a piece of paper in my hand. After I left to buy a soft drink from a kiosk nearby, he came even closer and stared at me with a stern expression. It was quite intimidating.

As I walked I noticed a lot of litter on the footpath − paper, cigarette butts, and even a plastic bottle.

A food vendor near Benjasiri Park said: “I don’t like what the Thetsakij are doing, following foreigners who smoke and waiting for them to throw away the butt. I think it is shameful, but it is not my business, so I keep quiet. I have to survive.” When asked if he had ever been fined for littering (there was plenty of trash around his stall), he said: “They [thetsakij] are going after the foreigners, like Japanese, because they have money.”

Thetsakij at work near Soi 12

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The BigChilli watched inspectors at work around Sukhumvit Soi 12, where it is much easier to keep a low profile and observe them in action than around Soi 4 or especially Benjasiri Park.

At 4.40pm on May 23, an inspector stopped a European man and his Thai female companion walking down Sukhumvit across from Soi 12 after he dropped a paper. The inspector spoke with the young woman at first and then took them to the table under the pedestrian bridge. Another inspector arrived from the booth on Soi 12 shortly after. The man and the young woman spent about 10 minutes talking with the officers, who were constantly watching the area at the same time. After the man paid a fine (I

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never learned the amount), the couple walked toward Robinson department store. They were followed by one inspector, preventing me from following them and asking questions about the incident.

The next day around 2.45pm an inspector approached a European-looking man near Soi 12 after he dropped a cigarette butt. He was then escorted by the inspector to the BMA booth. The man appeared angry and upset while talking to the inspector inside the booth for about 10 minutes, after which he immediately jumped in a taxi and left the scene.

A little later, at 3.20pm, another European man was apprehended by the same inspector for dropping a piece of paper. The man stayed in the booth for about 20 minutes. He also appeared very upset and was talking loudly. The inspector called for another inspector who was standing near the booth watching the area. The foreigner was writing something on a piece of paper while a third inspector arrived with five Japanese tourists. The first foreigner left shortly after and practically ran from the booth. It’s not clear if he paid a fine.

The five Japanese tourists spoke to the inspectors outside the booth for about five minutes. Apparently one Japanese man had dropped a piece of paper on the footpath near Soi 12 at around 3.30pm. After they left the booth we followed them and approached after a safe distance and asked what happened. One man could speak a little English but he indicated that he didn’t want to talk. They all continued walking, visibly upset.

At around 3.45pm on May 26 a married couple, a British man and an Australian woman, were apprehended by an inspector outside the 7/11 store near Soi 12. The man later explained that he was holding the cigarette in his hand while crushing it with his foot and wanted to throw it into a rubbish bin − as he didn’t want to throw it in the bin while still lit – the inspector called him over and accused him of littering. Despite the man’s protests, the inspector told him that crushing the cigarette with his foot on the footpath was the same as littering, even if he still had it in his hand.

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A sign opposite Soi 12

Cigarette butts near Benjasiri Park

INTERVIEW WITH AN INSPECTOR IN BENJASIRI PARK I approached one inspector while walking on the footpath near Benjasiri Park and asked him a few questions: Are you a policeman?

Yes, I am with the city police.

The man protested that he had done nothing wrong, but the couple was taken over to the booth. The man was told that if he didn’t pay 1,000 baht there, he would be taken to the police station, where he would be fined 2,000 baht. Believing the inspector to be a Bangkok police officer, the man paid the 1,000 baht but didn’t get a receipt. Both the man and the woman were angry and told The BigChilli they want their money back. (We took photos and a video of them being apprehended, and recorded a short conversation with them. We also took the woman’s mobile number in the case we can be of assistance later).

Like the one on this poster (pointing out a hoarding showing a high-ranking police officer attached to the Royal Thai Police)?

Yes. Where is your office?

In Klong Toey.

What is your duty here? Are you looking for bag snatchers or pickpockets?

No, my duty is to look for people littering, and also motorcyclists riding on the footpath.

Can you make arrests?

Yes, I can.

A vendor near Soi 12

Do you take suspects to the police station?

The inspector didn’t answer. In fact, he suddenly lost interest in the conversation, and looking around nervously, forced a smile and left.

As a footnote, during many visits to Benjasiri Park, I saw many motorcyclists riding on the footpath past the BMA booth, as well as parking on the footpath, some of them right in front or behind a large sign prohibiting this. I also watched inspectors walking past cigarette butts and other litter. A short distance away, across Soi 24, many vendors make the footpath dirty, but I never saw an inspector go there. In fact, I never saw a single Thai approached near any of the three booths operated by inspectors.

Diplomatic complaint

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One European ambassador whose posting in Bangkok has ended told me he was caught by an inspector after placing a cigarette on top of a plastic bag filled with rubbish, most probably put there by a vendor at Benjasiri Park, because he couldn’t find a rubbish bin. The inspector was rude even after the ambassador showed him an ID card issued by the Diplomatic Privilege and Immunity Division, Department of Protocol, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After a heated conversation during which the ambassador demanded to talk with his superior, a senior inspector arrived and let him go immediately.

The diplomat said that he knew of a Canadian woman who was apprehended in the same area after dropping a piece of paper. At first she refused to pay the maximum fine of 2,000 baht, but after she was threatened with arrest she paid, just to get away from “these horrible people.”

An inspector on patrol near Benjasiri Park

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Y O U R U L T I M A T E W H A T ’ S O N G U I D E F O R J U N E 1 3

What’s on pArt pPerformance pSport pFootball pMovies & Albums pBooks

Ronan Keating returns to Bangkok in July. Page 84.

Guitar stars The Asia International Guitar Festival and Competition returns Page 85

Trail Masters

Strap on your trainers and get in training for this fun event Page 86

Run for glory The Sahaviriya Bangkok Triathlon is scheduled for July 7 Page 86

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What’s On|The Arts

Exhibitions Until Jul 7

Ardel Gallery of Modern Art

Keisei Kobayashi: Wood engraving 1978 – 2009

Until Jun 22

Number 1 Gallery

Sexsual Mythologies

CITY and jungle scenes are juxtaposed to thought-provoking effect in this series of wood engravings by Keisei Kobayashi, who explores the impact of scientific and technological advancement on both nature and humankind.

INSPIRED by provocative images of women found in magazines and on the web, Chamon Nimnark explores how media’s obsession with female sexuality has changed and evolved to its present state.

Boromratchonnee Road. Open Tues-Sat 10.30am-7pm; Sun 10.30am-5.30pm (closed Mon) 02 422 2092 : ardelgallery.com

919/1 The Silom Galleria, Silom Road, Soi 19 02 630 2523 : number1gallery.com

☎

☎

Jul 15 – Aug 25

Ardel’s Third Place Gallery

Passion – Lust

PASSION and lust and their role in life are explored in sensual detail in Watchara Klakhakhai’s latest body of work, which features a series of realistic nude portraits split between oil paintings on canvas and charcoal drawings.

Sukhumvit 55, Thonglor Soi 10. Open Tues-Sat 10.30am-7pm; 10.30am5.30pm (closed Mon) 02 422 2092 : ardelgallery.com

☎

Jun 6 – July 14

DOB Hualamphong Gallery

Beauty

ACCESSORIES, make-up, hair products and skin lotions – some women get so wound up in the materialistic side of beauty that they ‘beautify’ themselves more than necessary. In this exhibition of oil paintings, fledgling artist Suriwan Sutham explores what might happen if beauty seekers were to take their obsession too far.

DOB Building 4F, 318 Rama 4 Road. Open Tues-Sat 10.30am7pm; Sun 10.30am-5.30pm (closed Mon).

02 237 5592-4 : ardelgallery.com

☎

Until Jul 4

La Lanta Fine Art

Subway

IN his debut exhibition in Thailand, renowned Belgian photographer Luc Dratwa presents Manhattan’s Subway system as it’s never been seen or imagined before – a harmony of lines, forms, rhythms and contrasts which prove that, even in the metal framework of a train carriage, beauty is everywhere.

245/14 Sukhumvit Soi 3. Open Tues-Sat 10am-7pm 02-204-0583 : lalanta.com

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What’s On|Performance

Live Music

Dear Music Lover, HELLO and welcome to my latest little round up of all things alternatively musical and brilliant happening in Bangkok and the rest of Asia. Things are going great and the bands are still coming. However, without the support from the public, it will quickly disappear. If we can help to keep the wheels of this ever growing scene nicely oiled then things will continue the way they are. All good.

Matt

Smith

VIETNAM

BANGKOK

The K BBQ ing Khan Show &

• TO kick the month off with a huge bang, my very own Popscene Events will be hosting insane Montreal based, two piece, garage-psych rockers The King Khan & BBQ Show. Their raw and ready studio albums have been hailed by the world’s music press and their live show is nothing short of genius. You have to believe me when I state that I’m not just saying it because I’m organizing this one, but these boys will be great and truly entertaining. It takes place on Sat June 1 at Cosmic Cafe on RCA. Tickets are a mere B400 and only available on the door. Doors open at 8pm and it’s first come first served with support on the night from Plastic Section and The Standards. Check Popscene’s website for more details : popscene.asia

• TO celebrate the release of their new album ‘Celebration Rock,’ two piece rock and roll brilliantness is coming to town in the form of Vancouver based Japandroids. One of them sings and plays guitar and the other drums.”So how will that sound then?” I hear you cry. Well the Guardian reckon, “King and Prowse play their rock’n’roll like a high-wire act, sounding ever on the edge of falling apart, flirting with chaos and collapse, just on the right side of din and derangement.” So there you have it. Can’t wait! Wed Aug 14 at Sonic, Ekkami. Prices are yet to be announced but you can get tickets in advance from : thiaticketmajor.com

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Friday June 7 at Cargo, 7 Nguy�n T�t Thành, District 4, Ho Chi Minh City. Tickets now on sale priced 350k (Adv), 450k (door).

Available from: Cargo/Q4 box office; 7 Nguyen Tat Thanh, Saigon Sound System; 39 Ly Tu Trong, Q1, Asian Kitchen / Alley Cat; 185/22 Pham Ngu Lao

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• CAMA Festival # 7 will take place on Sat Oct 12 this year. The Standards were lucky enough to play in 2011 and it was a great day full of good bands from all over the world. Check the website for details as they’re not quite finalized yet. : camafestival.com

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Clu

• A LONG way off yet but no harm in getting the word out and getting prepared. With two hit albums under their belt, numerous world tours, tons of critical acclaim and a fan base that would give Bono a run for his money, Two Door Cinema Club will be bringing their impossibly catchy tunes to Bangkok. on Nov 28 at BITEC Arena.

Ticket details TBA but they will be available from : thaiticketmajor.com

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• BRITISH cult rock and roll heroes Little Barrie and psychedelic Los Angeles based Dengue Fever are co-headlining what will be an awesome night of live music.

Support comes from local band The Marmalades.

e Cin

• Summer Sonic 2013. Taking place in Tokyo and Osaka on Aug 10 and 11, this festival is massive!

Metallica, Muse, Stone Roses, Beady Eye, Two Door Cinema Club, Palma Violets, Peace, Alt-J, Jake Bugg and many, many more are on the line-up.

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Summe

Doors open at 9am on both sites.

Tickets: Tokyo: 1 Day ticket - 15,500 Yen - 2 day ticket - 28,000 Yen Osaka: 1 day ticket 13,000 Yen - 2 day ticket - 23,000 Yen Check the website for more details: : summersonic.com

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OTHER MUSIC NEWS:

JAPAN

3 ck 201 Fuji Ro

JUNE 13 – 16

THE SUKOSOL BANGKOK • FUJI Rock 2013: Artists are still being added but so far Bjork, Hurts, The Cure, Nine Inch Nails, The XX, Foals, Sparks, Tame Impala, Mumford and Sons and a load more have already been announced. 26th 28th July way up in the mountains of the Naeba Ski Resort, Niigata. Sounds outstanding.

Tickets: Early bird - 3 day ticket - 39,800 Yen - 1 day ticket - 16,800 Yen Regular - 3 day ticket - 42,800 - 1 day ticket 17,800 Yen Check the website for more details: : smash-uk.com

JULY 10

IMPACT ARENA

RONAN KEATING LIVE

ASIA INTERNATIONAL GUITAR FESTIVAL & COMPETITION

POP sensation Ronan Keating is set to return to Thailand to wow his fans with the Ronan Keating Fires Live 2013 tour, which marks the artist’s 20th anniversary in the music industry. Expect to hear hits such as Fires, When You Say Nothing At All, and many more. Support from popular Thai act Two Popetorn.

NOW in its seventh year, the Asia International Guitar Festival & Competition is one of the region’s biggest events for classical guitar aficionados. This year’s agenda includes master classes. Guitar exhibits, competitions and concerts by acclaimed world-class musicians hailing from Asia, the Americas and Europe.

Tickets range B2,500 – B4,500 Baht from : Thaiticketmajor.com

For more info see : thailandguitarsociety.com/aigf

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What’s On|Outdoors

Sport June 16

Khao Mai Keaw, Pattaya

The Columbia Trail Masters 2013

THE 5th edition of the Thailand Trail Running Championship is open to all and offers a choice of four distances – 50 km, 25 km, 10km, and 3.5km fun run/walk for all. Combining the beautiful outdoor scenery of hiking with the physical challenges of running, trail running is perfect for any athlete who likes to get out amongst nature. :ama-events.com

July 7

Bangkok

July 17 – 21

Sahaviriya June 16 Phuket Bangkok Bangkok Cape Panwa Triathlon Hotel Phuket Supersports NOW in its fifth year, the Raceweek 2013 10 Miles International Bangkok International Triathlon will return to the NOW in its 10th year, this Run popular regatta boasts a Capital for what promises week of great sailing and parties in Phuket. During the event, the regatta’s title sponsor, Kasemkij Hotels, will offer special rates at its Phuket properties – Cape Panwa Hotel and Kantary Bay Hotel. Full details can be found on the website below. :phuketraceweek.com

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IF you can run more than 10km but still aren’t up to half-marathon level, this event may be just the springboard you need before taking that next step. The main event offers a 10-mile long course.

Five-mile and two-mile options are also available. :goadventureasia.com

to be its biggest event yet.

Featuring swimming in the Chao Praya River, biking on a traffic-free expressway, and a final run along the magnificent Rama VIII Bridge, the course looks set to provide participants with stunning views of the city. :bangkoktriathlon.org :goadventureasia.com

July 13, 17, 28

Rajamangala Stadium

Football extravaganza

FANS of England’s Premier League are in for a triple treat next month in Bangkok. On July 13, a Singha All Stars team will take on the might of a visiting Manchester United, and then, on July 17, they’ll take on Chelsea FC. Capping the hat trick of visitors on July 28 will be Liverpool FC (at time of writing their opponents weren’t confirmed. Check Thaiticketmajor.com for updates). All games will be played at the cavernous Rajamangala Stadium, and tickets are expected to sell out faster than a Mancunian derby. Book early to avoid disappointment. :Thaiticketmajor.com

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What’s On|Sport

Thai football in focus

Soccer pundit Paul Hewitt examines what’s happening in the world of Thai football

Glass gaining ground

B

BANGKOK Glass have enjoyed a recent return to form following a poor start to the season. The typically underachieving Glass Rabbits won just once in their

opening six games, but have now won four of their last five at the time of writing.

The only defeat in that run was away at Chonburi.

Their return to form is in no small part thanks to the appointment of head coach Attaphol Buspakom. Coach ‘Tak’ arrived within 24 hours of his shock dismissal from the same position at Buriram United on May 1. His credentials are impeccable.

He took BEC Tero Sasana to the AFC Champions League final in 2003. He delivered Muangthong United their first TPL crown in 2009. He won the domestic treble with Buriram in 2011 and then took Buriram to the knock-out stages of this year’s Champions League. However, when Tak fell out with Thunder Castle supremo Newin Chidchob there could only be one winner, and the fifty year old packed his bags for Pathum Thani. Since then,

Red faces at Pluak Daeng

Welcome to Hell?

Not really

T

THAI clubs and their fans often like to take ideas and inspiration from Western leagues. Hence, we have the “Premier League,” the “FA Cup” and “League Cup.” Many teams have adopted the “United” moniker. We even have Amnat Charoen “Town” and Uthai Thani “Forest.”

Meanwhile, the fans often like to write their banners and signs in English and there is an “Ultras” group at Muangthong United. But surely this plagiarism has gone a step too far at the aforementioned Muangthong where a large flag bearing the slogan “Welcome To Hell” can be seen in the “N-Zone” (fans that congregate in the North Stand) at the SCG Stadium.

The now hackneyed slogan was made famous by Galatasaray fans in 1993 when a placard reading “Welcome to the hell” (sic) was held up as Manchester United players made their way through the airport in Istanbul. It later became a banner slogan at the Ali Sami Yen Stadium and was copied by fans of various clubs around the world. Galatasaray fans can perhaps get away with it. The intense atmosphere at their matches coupled with thousands of flares being lit simultaneously perhaps

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victories over Ratchaburi, Pattaya and Bangkok United have propelled the Bunnies into eighth place and given them an outside chance of still finishing in the top three.

Things are looking good off the pitch too. The Leo Stadium has been expanded to hold 13,000 (from about 10,000) thanks to the addition of a dazzling second tier to the main stand. A row of executive boxes have also been squeezed in between the two tiers. The result is perhaps the single most impressive stand in Thai League football. Unfortunately, the stadium remains three-sided as the club doesn’t own the land behind the fence on the open side opposite the main stand. It’s fair to say that BG will rarely sell out those 13,000 seats based on current attendance numbers but it should at least be a full house when Muangthong pay a visit on June 9.

S

gives a rough approximation of Hades (the analogy would be complete if they signed Dante from Bayern Munich).

But it’s an odd and rather fuzzy kind of Hell in Nonthaburi where replica-shirtclad female fans tap away on iPads and iPhones during games; where opposition fans exchange gifts at halftime, and where home fans applaud the opposing team after the match. The flag was prominent during Muangthong’s final AFC Champions League match, a home defeat against Urawa Red Diamonds of Japan. Perhaps the Hell being referred to was Muangthong’s dreadful Champions League form where they picked up just a solitary point from their six games, conceding 17 goals and scoring just four in the process. Or is it the Hell of the traffic around the stadium on match days? Or maybe the Hell of soaring replica shirt prices (now 990 baht). Cynical mockery aside, you’re Thai; you’re too nice to be hellish. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

SPARE a thought for Regional League minnows Pluak Daeng of Rayong province. In recent weeks, the team has lost 5-0, 12-0, 9-0 and 6-1. They’ve lost twelve of their thirteen matches to date, conceding 57 goals whilst scoring seven.

The side is in its debut season in the Regional League having been promoted from the non-league Royal Cup last year, but the team’s plight is a signal of a malaise in football in Rayong where internal politics have led to the presence of no fewer than five teams from the province in the Thai football pyramid.

PTT Rayong, Rayong FC and Rayong United all play in League 1 (there’s that “United” suffix again; it seems particularly inappropriate in Rayong) whilst Maptahput Marine and Pluak Daeng are in the Regional League. And just a couple of kilometres over the border in Sattahip, Chonburi, both Siam Navy (league 1) and Thai Fleet (Division 2) play their home games.

It’s an anomaly peculiar to Rayong and the teams are feeling the effects as too little talent and money and too few fans are spread across too many teams.

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Only PTT are having a successful season. Rayong FC and United are both likely to be relegated from League 1. Maptaphut are doing ok in the same division as Pluak Daeng, but they play games in front of 100 or so fans at a dilapidated old ground well outside of Rayong city. The powers that be in Rayong need to look at provinces such as Korat, Suphanburi, Phuket and Buriram where political and business leaders have come together and put all their energies behind one team. A model that’s likely to provide long-term success.

AD Operation Smile_April11.indd 1

Army United

Farang Focus

THE SECOND PART OF OUR SERIES LOOKING AT FOREIGN PLAYERS IN BANGKOK

NAME: BJORN LINDEMANN CLUB: ARMY UNITED D AT E O F B I R T H : 2 3 RD J A N 1 9 8 4 ( A G E 2 9 ) POSITION: MIDFIELDER/STRIKER N AT I O N A L I T Y: G E R M A N

LINDEMANN is notable for being the first German to play in the TPL. He had played only in Germany prior to his move to Thailand, most notably for Hannover 96 at the start of his career in 2003. He joined Army at the start of the 2012 season and had an inconsistent debut season in Thailand. However, he did enough for the bosses at Army to offer him another year’s contract for 2013 and he is now a settled part of the Army line up. You can see him in action at the Army Sports Stadium on Vibhavadi-Rangsit Road in Din Daeng and follow him on Twitter @blindemann10. He also gave a thoughtful in-depth interview to www.thai-fussball.com/en which you can find in the News section on that site.

4/2/11 10:53:59 AM

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What’s On|Screen And Stereo

Movies & music

JUNE 13

ACTION

MAN OF STEEL (3D)

SUPERMAN is being brought back down to earth for an origin story which, shock-horror, ditches the traditional underwear-over-the-pants look for a more serious Dark Knight-style tone. Henry Cavill dons the cape, Amy Adams is love interest Lois Lane, and Russell Crowe stars as supervillain General Zod. Directed by Zack Snyder.

JUNE 20

ACTION

WORLD WAR Z

BASED on Max Brooks’ epic tome of a global war against the undead, this Zombie-packed thriller stars Brad Pitt as Gerry Lane, a worker at the United Nations who goes in search of the zombie-plague’s dark origins in the hope of finding a cure.

JUNE 20

DRAMA

MUD

TWO teenage boys encounter a man named Mud (Matthew McConaughey) hiding out on an island in the Mississippi. Mud tells them all kinds of fantastic stories – how he killed a man and is now the target of vengeful bounty hunters.

He says he’s planning to meet and escape with the love of this life. It isn’t long before Mud’s visions come true and the two boys find their town besieged by a beautiful girl with a line of bounty hunters in tow.

JUNE 27

CRIME

ONLY GOD FORGIVES

DIRECTOR Nicolas Winding Refn and actor Ryan Gosling scored a massive hit with the brutal yet stylish Drive, now they look set to do it all again with this Bangkok-based tale of revenge which, according to The Guardian, is “emotionally breathtaking, aesthetically brilliant, and immensely violent.” Should be a corker.

Movie screenings are subject to change. Keep up to date at movieseer.com

Memory Lane

New Music BEN FOLDS FIVE LIVE

ICE ON THE DUNE

(Release Date: June 4)

(Release Date: June 18)

BEN FOLDS FIVE SUPER COLLIDER

KVELKUR

(Release Date: June 4)

(Release Date: June 18)

MEGADETH

SIGUR RÓS

BE

THE WEIGHT OF YOUR LOVE

(Release Date: June 10)

(Release Date: July 1)

BEADY EYE

EDITORS

THE MINUTES

ELECTRIC

(Release Date: June 11)

(Release Date: July 16)

ALISON MOYET

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EMPIRE OF THE SUN

PET SHOP BOYS

Topping the UK charts June 1983

1. Rod Stewart—Baby Jane 2. Paul Young—Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home) 3. Freeez—I.O.U. 4. David Bowie—China Girl 5. Irene Cara—Flashdance… What A Feeling 6. Heaven 17—Come Live With Me 7. Tom Robinson—War Baby 8. Shalamar—Dead Giveaway 9. Michael Jackson—Wanna Be Startin’ Something 10. Funk Masters—It’s Over

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What’s On|Bargains Galore

Tradeshows

JUNE 12 – 15 BITEC

JUNE 27 – 30 BITEC

JUL 4-7 QSNCC

Jul 27-Aug 4 IMPACT

MEET the best of the best manufacturers and suppliers across five dedicated industry zones including DrinkTechAsia, Lab&TestAsia, PharmaTechAsia, PlasTechAsia and PrintTechAsia. Asia’s No.1 processing and packaging event includes conferences, seminars and activity programs. www.besallworld.com

CLOTHES, toys and all kinds of other products related to babies and kids go on sale here. A roster of entertainment for the little ones includes a kids’ fashion show, kids’ talent show, and kids’ modeling contest. Open each day 10:30am and ends around noon. www.amarinbabykidsfair.com

THIS grand-scale fair will present everything kids and mums could possibly need, ranging from toys and games to cots and fashionable kids’ clothes – all with up-to-80% discount. Open each day 10am8pm. www.thailandbestbuy.com

THE exhibition looks set to live up to its name by offering a vast array of household furniture, gardening equipment, clothing, beauty and spa products, wedding accessories, sound equipment, and much more. Open each day 10am-9pm. www.worldfair.co.th

PROPAK ASIA 2013

JUNE 21 – 30 IMPACT

BANGKOK INTERNATIONAL AUTO SALON

AMARIN BABY & KIDS FAIR

JUNE 27 – 30 IMPACT

THAILAND INTERNATIONAL DOG SHOW

OVER 200 exhibitors will showcase a wide range of the latest dog care products A MUST visit for vehicle and services, ranging from enthusiasts this event features top of the range car accessories dog food and dog clothes to accessories and vet as well as a D1 Grand Prix, information. Open daily at special stage show and grand lucky draw. Open 12pm-9:30pm 10am-8pm. Tickets cost B20 on weekdays and 11am-9:30pm (Free for kids and dogs). on weekends. Entrance tickets www.thailand-dogshow.com cost B100 at Challenge Hall JULY 3 – 7 (Free for kids under 10) and QSNCC B300/B200 at Lake Side (D1 Show).

HEALTH CUISINE www.bangkokinternationalau& BEAUTY tosalon.com FESTIVAL

JUNE 20-23 BITEC

MANUFACTURING EXPO 2013 DISCOVER 1,500 brands of new machinery, auto-parts and industrial parts from 30 countries. It’s a great place to network with ASEAN’s largest manufacturing and supporting industries. www.manufacturing-expo.com

PREAW, Cheewajit, Health & Cuisine, and Lemonade magazines are joining forces to organize the year’s ultimate event for health, food, fashion and beauty aficionados. Over 300 booths will offer a vast array of specially-selected products and services divided into Health Zone, Food & Beverage and Cuisine Zone, Fashion Zone, and Beauty Zone. Open daily 10am-8pm. www.healthcuisineandbeauty.com

THAILAND BABY & KIDS BEST BUY

JUL 13-21 BITEC

MODERN FURNITURE FAIR

ALONGSIDE modern furniture, this fair will also feature wedding packages, clothing, jewelry and electronic items. Open each day at 10am-9pm. www.unionpan.com

THAILAND BEST SHOPPING FAIR

The BigChilli Campaign

Save Our Seas!

JUL 19-28 IMPACT

BANGKOK IMPORTED CAR & USED CAR SHOW ONE of the most prestigious used car shows in Thailand is returning with more quality motors from authorized car dealers all over the country.

Luxurious premium cars and super cars are also displayed and ready for sale. www.bangkokcarshow.com

Jul 25-28 BITEC

THAILAND GIFTS & PREMIUM FAIR (TGP FAIR) A B2B fair with over 10,000 products presented by more than 220 importers and exporter agencies. The fair will include special activities as well as seminars and awards. www.tgp.com

Pollution of Pattaya’s seas is at crisis levels – action by everybody is needed to avert a disaster.

Visit tinyurl.com/bverrhc or scan the barcode above to read the full report and leave your views. The more noise we make, the more chance we have of making a difference.

The details: • Impact Convention Center, Muang Thong Thani, 99 Popular Road, Banmai Subdistrict, Pakkred District, Nonthaburi. Tel: 02 833 4455 www. impact.co.th • BITEC, 88 Bangna-Trad Road (Km.1), Bangna, Bangkok. Tel: 02 749 3939 www.bitec.co.th • Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, 60 New Rachadapisek Road, Klongtoey, Bangkok. Tel: 02 229 3000 www.qsncc.co.th

READ THE BIGCHILLI FOR FREE ONLINE www.issuu.com/thebigchilli www.thebigchilli.com

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Entertainment|Humour

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Send your jokes to thebigchillimagazine@gmail.com

Just for fun

Entertainment|Humour

Jokes E JOKTHE OF NTH MO

HTS THOUG E H OF T MONTH

DRINKING LOGIC

A MAN walks into a bar and asks, “What’s the most expensive whiskey you have?” The bartender says, “A 50- year-old scotch at 1,000 baht a shot.”

The man orders a double and downs it.

He orders the same again and downs it. After the third double, the bartender says, “Hey buddy you should be careful – that’s strong stuff.” The man replies, “You’d drink like this too if you had what I had.” The bartender asks, “What’s that?” “100 baht,” the man replies.

1. Get this for irony: one of the few places on Earth where you can’t buy something on Amazon is actually in The Amazon.

2. So Macaulay Culkin’s health problems are linked to a tricky childhood? No sh*t. His parents forgot to take him on holiday four times! – Jack Whitehall 3. I used to live on a houseboat. For a while, I was seeing the girl next door but, eventually, we drifted apart.

4. I didn’t think I’d get a loan from the bank for my knitting business when I turned up actually wearing one of the balaclavas.

– Milton Jones

SKIVER’S DILEMMA

TWO brunettes and a blonde work in the same office with the same female boss. They notice the boss always leaves work early so one day they decide to leave straight after she does. The two brunettes go for coffee, but the blonde decides to go home and surprise her husband. When she reaches her house she sneaks inside and hears noises from the bedroom. Peering in through the bedroom door the blonde sees her boss in bed with her husband.

Horrified, she creeps away. Next day in the office the brunettes suggest leaving early again. “No way,” says the blonde. “Yesterday I almost got caught!”

GIVE US FIVE: MILTON JONES 1. “Will you marry me?” I spelled out in balloons outside the house of a girl I’d only met on the internet.

But when I saw her face, I popped the question.

2. Toilets on trains are rubbish, especially the one right at the front. The attendant in there gets so cross.

3. I went to the terminal and they had one of those sushi things going round and round. They had nice big portions, but they did taste a bit luggage-y.

4. I said to my long-standing girlfriend recently, “Sit down, will you?”

5. When I was at school, I spent half the time being afraid of things like fractions. Well, I say half the time.

NUTTY LAW

A MAGISTRATE is speaking to three men brought before him for a misdemeanor. He asks the first man why he’s there. The man replies: “For throwing peanuts in the lake.” The judge asks the second man why he’s there.

The man replies: “For throwing peanuts in the lake.” The judge asks the third man why he’s there. He says: “I’m Peanuts.”

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Social p Last month’s best events in pictures

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Social|Last Month’s Best Events

MARS ATTACKS SOI 11 Angel City Diner celebrated its grand opening with a ‘Mars Attacks’ theme party featuring aliens and space babes, free servings of tasty burgers, and enough booze to sink, er, a spaceship. Over 400 guests turned up to join in on the fun.

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Social|Last Month’s Best Events

Octave opens in style Bangkok Marriott Hotel Sukhumvit unveiled its Octave Lounge and Bar with an exclusive party attended by a large crowd of Thai celebs and VIP guests. Located on the hotel’s rooftop, Octave is the highest lounge and bar on Thonglor with a stunning 360 degrees panoramic view. Open daily 6pm-1am.

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Social|Last Month’s Best Events

‘Sizzling Hot Pool Party’ AT Aloft Bangkok

Aloft Bangkok – Sukhumvit 11 organized a Sizzling Hot Pool Party at Splash Pool bar where a large group of partygoers enjoyed fun games and activities and a sexy catwalk show by models from Miss Maxim.

A birthday treat at Lord Jim’s

Thanpuying Viraya Javakul celebrated her 79th birthday with a special event at at Ratchada Ballroom, SC Park Hotel, followed by dinner at Lord Jim’s, Mandarin Oriental Bangkok. The event was attended by Bannapot Damapong, Somchai Wongsawat, Thanpuying Viraya Javakul, Khunying Potjaman Damapong, Thanpuying Orasa Lamsam and Pairoj Lamsam and many other close friends.

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5 D-Licious years for Long Table Long Table Thai restaurant and bar marked its fifth anniversary with a huge party celebrating the five attributes which have contributed most to the restaurant’s success – Food, Drink, Entertainment, People and View.

Keeping the party jumping late into the night were DJ sets by Bangkok Invaders’ DJ ONO, and up-and-comer DJ Best, as well as a live performance by former Futon front-person Gene Kasidit and pop/rock band Getsunova.

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A green win for Pullman

Pullman Bangkok King Power held a special ceremony to celebrate its firstplace finish in the Miss Tree Competition, which was arranged as part of Accor’s Hug A Tree campaign – a special initiative to help conserve the planet.

Everybody’s Tunneling Tunnel, a hip new underground bar and eatery on Sukhumvit Soi 12, celebrated its grand opening last month with a big party featuring free drinks made with supreme spirits, and top DJs spinning hot tunes late into the night. Photographs by David Heischrek.

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True shows its might TrueVisions threw a big bash at its headquarters for over 2,500 business partners and associates where it also introduced its latest line up of international channels. Global partners and local and international celebs offered plenty of eye candy for all in attendance.

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Jazz Night with Keron Chok

Swissôtel Nai Lert Park, Bangkok hosted an exclusive performance by seasoned jazz artist Keron Chok, who was supported on the night by the exceptionally talented Narattha Kreephanich, founder of Su Jazz Acapella: The only Jazz Acapella in Thailand. The event was attended by a host of celebrities, media and VIP guests.

Netballers have a ball The Bangkok Netball League celebrated the end of the season once again with a night of eating, drinking, dancing, and lots of laughs at Zaks Wine Pub, Sukhumvit Soi 11.

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Sparkling white in Chiang Mai

Eva Sparkling Wine hosted a special ladies’ night party at the Outdoor Garden, The Good View Restaurant, Chiang Mai, where guests dressed in sparkling white enjoyed sampling wines and mingling with local celebrities such as Opal-Panisara Pimpru, Gubgib -Sumontip Leuanguthai, Auan -Rangsit Sirananont, and Aof-Pongsak Rattanaphong.

Fundraising fun with Baan Unrak Baan Unrak Children’s Home held a special fundraising event at NEST Rooftop Bar, Sukhumvit Soi 11, where over 400 people turned up to enjoy a night of music and drinks and raising money for a worthy cause. For more info about the charity see www.baanunrak.org.

Photographs by David Heischrek.

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Big wins at Bacchus Bacchus wine bar & restaurant played host to an Obey Vodka “With Passion Love and Patience� evening where ten lucky guests won vouchers at The Harmony Clinic worth 30,000 baht.

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Californian tastes at Sheraton Pattaya Sheraton Pattaya Resort hosted a Delicato Family Vineyards Wine Dinner which featured a lavish five-course menu paired with a special selection of the Californian vineyard’s finest wines. On hand to introduce the wines was the vineyard’s Regional Sales Manager, Ryan Stewart.

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Phantom Supper at Sundowners The Imperial Queen’s Park Hotel, the official hotel for the Phantom of the Opera when it was staged here last month, welcomed the cast of the show with a “Phantom Supper Lounge Launch Party’ at the hotel’s Sundowner’s Bar, which, much to the delight of the visitors, took on a special Phantom of the Opera theme.

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Danish networking at the embassy The Danish-Thai Chamber of Commerce (DTCC) and the Thai-Danish Club (TDC) joined forces to host a “Danish-Thai Alumni networking” night at the Royal Danish Embassy in Bangkok. Presided over by H.E. Mr. Ambassador Mikael Hemniti Winther and his wife, Mrs. Ratanawadee Hemniti Winther, the event brought together people who have worked, studied and lived in Denmark alongside members of the Chamber and executives interested in the Danish-Thai relations.

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Whisgars lights up Bangkok’s newest whisky and cigar bar marked its arrival in Bangkok last month with a huge party attended by a large number of whisky aficionados, VIP guests, and media. The first Whisgars in Asia, the bar shares its location with Giusto Restaurant in Sukhumvit Soi 23.

For more info see www.whisgars.com

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Movers & Shakers at Spasso Over 400 guests made their way to the April edition of the Movers and Shakers Charity Networking Night, which was sponsored by Kingdom Property and RSM Thailand and held at Spasso, Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok.

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David Guetta at BITEC

David Guetta at BITEC

Playhound Party at Pastel & Monochrome

Karan & Arjun Phawa at Tunnel Grand Opening

PARTIES AT A GLANCE

Djimon Hounsou at QBar Bek Van & Ken Kreangsak Leing at the Octave Rooftop Bar Opening at Bangkok Marriott Hotel Sukhumvit

PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAVID HEISCHREK

Biz Markie at QBar

Stefano Dolce at Nest Models at QBar

Octave Rooftop Bar Opening DJ Patrick, Marco at The Club on Khao San Road

Nym Sayalak & friend at the Playhound Party at Pastel & Monochrome

Byron & Cindy Bishop, Benjamin Baskins at the Octave Rooftop Bar Opening

Tanasan Kanakasem at his ‘Wild Wild Girl’ Exhibition at Koi Art Gallery

Octave Rooftop Bar Opening

Models at the Octave Rooftop Bar Opening

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Pepsi Slims down

PEPSI launched its new limited edition Slim Can with a star-studded party attended by celebs such as Yutthana Boon-Aom (Pa-Tet), Neung- Narongwit, Grace-Karnklao, Pearypie- Amata, Chulaluck Piyasombatkul (Moo Eyewear), Pang-Kwankhao Sawedvimol and Polapat Asavaprapa (ASAVA) and Noey Chotika. Retailing for just 12 baht, the Slim Can will be on sale for only three months.

TAT launches Thailand Super Quality

THE Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Mr. Suraphon Svetasreni, presided over the launch of the TAT’s new website, www.

ThailandSuperQuality.com, a luxury online portal featuring the nation’s best hotels and resorts, spas and golf courses, travel destinations, and more.

Ms. Juthaporn Rerngronasa, Deputy Governor for International Marketing, also participated in the event, which was held at the Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok.

A record breaking delivery for Seat Boat SEAT Boat Co., Ltd., Thailand’s longest established fibreglass boat builder and broker recently imported its largest private yacht, valued at over B32 million. The yacht, a 48-foot Meridian 441, built in the United States during nine months, was delivered to a private customer at Laem Chabang port. The boat can sleep up to 8 people on-board and is powered by twin, state-ofthe-art pod-drive Cummins engines delivering 960 horsepower.

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Ramada Bikes for a Greener World

IN support of the TAT’s Green Transportation Year initiative, the staff and management of Ramada Plaza Menam Riverside Bangkok launched a “Bike for a Greener World” project aimed at promoting the use of bicycles amongst hotel staff. To kick-start the ongoing project, the hotel has provided 30 staff with bicycles which they will use to commute to work. The hotel also donated two bicycles to Charoenkrung Pracharak Hospital, so that they too may encourage more of their own staff to take to biking and to go green.

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Diplomats p Meet the people uniting nations

HE Jorge Chen

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HE Jorge Chen|Mexico

Why Mexico’s Ambassador is such a ‘natural’ diplomat…

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By Maxmilian Wechsler

BORN in Mexico City to a French mother and a Chinese father, it is perhaps not surprising that His Excellency Jorge Chen found his calling in diplomacy. The Mexican ambassador to Thailand was described by several members of the local diplomatic corps as an enthusiastic, charming gentleman with a good sense of humor.

All of this and more was confirmed in our interview at his office on the 20th floor of the Thai Wah Tower I on South Sathorn Road. Tastefully decorated in the style of his native country, the room with a view provides a nice working environment for an important and difficult job that Ambassador Chen manages with ease.

“This is the second place to host our embassy in Bangkok.

The first was also in the Sathorn area, in a house at Convent Road. We like this office building − it is a very nice place and has a lot of services, including good security. It is a small embassy, with 15 employees, four of whom are part of the Mexican Foreign Service, including myself.

“We cover the main departments every embassy has, such as political affairs, consular services, commerce, tourism, cultural affairs, press, and multilateral issues, among others,” said the ambassador, adding that almost all of the Thai staff can speak Spanish.

Mexican-Thai relations

“Diplomatic relations between Mexico and Thailand were established on August 28, 1975, so we are in our 38th year of official bilateral relations. Mexico established a permanent diplomatic mission in Bangkok in September 1989,” said the ambassador.

“But six years before that, in 1983, Mexico established an Honorary Consulate in Bangkok, with Khunying Phorntip Narongdej

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appointed as the Honorary Consul of Mexico. She has remained a very close and good friend of Mexico. We have a lot of gratitude and respect for her,” Mr Chen said.

“Thailand opened its embassy in Mexico City in 1978. The new Thai Ambassador presented his credentials last February 14 to the President of Mexico, HE Enrique Peña-Nieto.

“In general terms, Mexico and Thailand have no problems at all in their bilateral relationship. We agree on everything.

We have very good political communication and an excellent dialogue on trade matters. These very positive links give us the opportunity to do more and to work together in different areas.

Bilateral trade is improving thanks to the dynamism and steady economic growth of both the Latin American and South East Asian regions in recent years,” Ambassador Chen said.

“Trade between Mexico and Thailand has been on the upswing since 1990, reaching a little more than US$4 billion in 2012. The idea is that both governments facilitate trade − to supply more Mexican products to the local markets in Thailand and vice versa. The balance favors Thailand at this time.

“The commercial relationship is complementary since both countries have similar industries, automotive for instance. The 20 most important items of bilateral trade are all in the industrial sector. These include a lot automotive spare parts and parts for assembly like suspensions and gearboxes, which are going back and forth. There is also a good mutual trade in electronics, computers, sound systems, telephones and other products. It is a very complementary trade which goes both ways. Not much food is exported to Mexico from Thailand, but you can, of course, buy Jasmine Thai rice over there,” Mr Chen added.

He also said that there are several Mexican-run companies in Thailand as well as some Thai companies representing Mexican products.

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MEXICO AT A GLANCE

Mexico, officially the United Mexican States (Estados Unidos Mexicanos), is a federal constitutional republic of 31 states and a federal district, where the capital is located.

Geographically it belongs to North America and culturally to Latin America. Mexico occupies an area of 1,964,000 square kilometers, with a population of about 105 million, making it the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world. With some 18 million inhabitants, the capital, Mexico City, is the largest city in the western hemisphere.

Highly developed cultures, including those of the Olmecs, Mayas, Toltecs, and Aztecs existed in this area long before the Spanish conquest. The site of advanced Amerindian civilizations, Mexico came under Spanish rule for three centuries before achieving independence early in the 19th century. Mexico started its independence struggle on September 16, 1810 with the Republic established in 1824. Mexico got its first Constitution on that year, but the current Constitution dated from February 5, 1917.

Mexico’s natural resources include petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas and timber. Its agriculture products are beans, corn, feed grains, fruit, cotton, coffee and sugarcane. The main Mexican industries are food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining, clothing, motor vehicles and tourism.

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Asked about high-level official visits between the two countries, Ambassador Chen underlined the presence in Mexico in 2002 of the Thai prime minister at the time, Thaksin Shinawatra, when he attended an APEC Summit at Los Cabos. The following year the Mexican President visited Thailand. In recent years members of the Mexican cabinet have been in Thailand, including the minister of foreign affairs and tourism, and very recently the deputy minister of foreign affairs came to Bangkok.

On the subject of tourism, Mr Chen said trouble can come to tourists in any part of the world, but Thai tourists have never had many problems in Mexico. Likewise, Mexican tourists coming to Thailand rarely have problems. More Mexicans are travelling to South East Asia in general, and to Thailand

in particular. According to Thai authorities almost 14,000 Mexicans entered Thailand in 2012. “For a country that is located on the other side of the globe, this is not bad. Most of them are tourists but some are business people.

“On the other side, the consular section of our embassy issued 446 visas to Thais wishing to go to Mexico last year,” said the ambassador. This does not reflect the total number of Thais visiting Mexico however.

“Mexico has made things easier for Thai nationals who want to visit. They do not need a Mexican visa as long as they already hold a valid US visa in their Thai passports. We don’t have here [at the embassy] the records of how many Thais crossed into Mexico from the US.

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HE Jorge Chen|Mexico

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“Mexico and Thailand are both great tourist destinations.

Both have similar attractions such as beach resorts. At the same time there are very different cultural attractions. Archeological sites like the pyramids and Spanish-style colonial buildings mixed with indigenous elements make Mexico a magical and interesting place to visit. Thais can find something familiar in the Mexican gastronomy, since chilli peppers originated from Mexico. So, Mexico has contributed to your magazine’s name,” Ambassador Chen said.

“With regard to culture, the embassy is promoting in a modest but constant way Mexican arts and traditions in the Kingdom of Thailand. Music, cinema, folk traditions, handicrafts, literature and performing arts are among the areas the embassy is promoting.

“We are planning in a few months an exhibition of paintings, probably at the Bangkok Cultural Centre. This is very nice place and they are very friendly and willing to help us. We held one cultural exhibition last year at CentralWorld. We try to inform people about Mexico in tourist magazines, and we are working on publishing a book with photos and articles on Mexican culture.

“As for sports, there aren’t too many Mexican boxers here because Mexican boxing is a bit different from Thai boxing (Muay Thai), but they are coming. We hope that in the future there will be a bigger presence from Mexican football players too.

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Improvisation diplomacy

“I don’t actually have a daily routine because there are so many different things I might have to do in and around Bangkok depending on the particular day. Normally, when I come to my office, I will have a meeting with different members of my staff. We see what is urgent – we look at communications sent

by Mexico. Then if there are meetings outside the embassy I will go, but I always come back in the afternoon to see what has to be sent to my government in Mexico. If there’s something of an urgent nature we will take care of that. In the afternoon and early evenings, there are often events for national days, cocktails and later, dinners. Sometimes these come almost every day, and actually it is a lot of work.

“Because of the time difference between the two countries I have to arrange my working hours accordingly,” said Ambassador Chen. “I have to call Mexico late at night or very early in the morning Thailand time to find people in the office in Mexico. You just have to get used to it and not be upset at receiving a phone call at 2am. I am really on duty 24 hours a day, but that’s part of my job and something I don’t mind.”

The ambassador frequently travels outside Bangkok, sometimes for pleasure but more often for official reasons, for example to venues arranged by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“Recently I went to Khon Kaen University and where I met about 20 students from Mexico who are part of an exchange program about which I had no information.

When I found about them, I was very happy because Mexican students are coming here and Thai students are going to Mexico. In 10, 15 or 20 years these students will be the best links between our two countries. What is being built now will show results later, and lead to stronger bilateral relations. This is very important,” Mr Chen said.

“We have 237 registered Mexican citizens living in Thailand, but taking into account that few people go to the embassy to register officially, we estimate that there are actually around 500 Mexicans residing here. Most of them are professionals and experts in different fields, with many of them working at the management level of transnational companies.”

As for the length of my assignment in Thailand, we don’t have a fixed term but usually it is about three years.

I hope to be here at least two more years.

“I have been in public service since 1973 and joined the Foreign Service in 1979. My first visit to Thailand was in 1982. I came to attend the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia Pacific (UNESCAP) meeting in Bangkok. I was quite pleasantly surprised with the city. I stayed more than one week; I enjoyed my stay and wanted to come back.

“Two years ago, it was proposed to me to come here as ambassador of Mexico. I didn’t ask for this specific post but I did always mention that Thailand would be a good post because I believe in the potential of bilateral relations between Thailand and Mexico. I went through the Mexican Senate for the confirmation and arrived here ten days after the confirmation, in September 2011. I am also ambassador to the Lao PDR. I travel there as often as needed, and also back to Mexico twice a year.

“Before coming here, I was ambassador to Italy, concurrent to the Republic of Malta, Albania and San Marino, and Permanent Representative to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). At the same time I held positions in several other multi-national organizations in Italy (See HE Jorge Chen in Focus).

“As for the length of my assignment in Thailand, we don’t have a fixed term but usually it is about three years. I hope to be here at least two more years.”

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Career diplomat

Mexican food and drinks in Thailand

Asked about Mexican restaurants in Bangkok, he replied: “There are six or seven places in town, most of them on Silom and Sukhumvit roads, but they usually serve a mixture of Mexican and Tex-Mex (with influences from the US state of Texas) dishes. There is only one genuine Mexican food restaurant – Que Chido located in Lard Prao in Bangkok. It has a Mexican owner and chef.

“My favorite Mexican dish is ‘Enchiladas de Mole,’ corn torillas filled with turkey or chicken meat and served with Mole, a spicy and dark-red sauce made of many ingredients, similar to curry but with a different taste. Among its many ingredients are chocolate and some sugar, so it is rather sweet, but it is also spicy because it has many different types of chillies. It is very heavy for the stomach.

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“This food is commonly cooked in special large pieces of pottery called ‘cazuelas’ and it is typical for family reunions and parties. To prepare Mole takes time. You will need at least one day because several ingredients need to be ground, mixed and cooked.

“My favorite Thai dish is Mee-krob, fried crispy noodles with tamarind sauce and shrimp,” he added.

The discussion then turned to Mexico’s distilled alcoholic beverages, mezcal and tequila. “Mezcal is made from different agave plants and can be produced anywhere in Mexico,” said Mr Chen. “However, tequila is made only from the Blue Agave plant (Tequilana weber), which grows mainly in the area surrounding the city of Tequila, in the state of Jalisco in the west side of Mexico.

“The amount of genuine tequila imported to Thailand is now very small but there are some Mexican brands in the market.

There are people who try to put some fake tequila on the market.

We are currently working on the protection of the Geographical Indication and the Appellation of Origen of Tequila, what we call DOT (Denominación de Origen del Tequila). DOT is already registered and protected by authorities in Thailand.”

Final words

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“Thai people are very friendly and sociable. I like the food and I like Bangkok. What I don’t like is the traffic, which can be sometimes very heavy, but this is the case in any big city.

“One of the most impressive experiences I’ve had here was when I attended a Muay Thai traditional graduation ceremony held in a temple in Ayutthaya, late last year. Students of Muay Thai from all over the country met at night, and with all the lights and everything else it was a fantastic spectacle.

I was also very impressed because it was such a touching ceremony. There were thousands of people there, including the Vietnamese ambassador and the governor of Ayutthaya.

“I have not had any real disappointments while in Thailand, though the scariest time for me was in 2011, when a third of the country was flooded. I was afraid that the consequences of the floods would be much worse for the Thai people, but I was very relieved that they and the government managed the whole situation pretty well. Two or three months after the waters receded, everything recovered and people went to work again.

The vitality and resolve of the Thai people in combating this disaster was very impressive.

“I would like to reiterate my personal belief that bilateral relations between Thailand and Mexico will continue to grow in many fields, not only in the political sense. They will continue to grow in economics, trade and interchange of people and ideas.

“I can tell you that right now relations with Thailand take a high priority among all the countries of South East Asia. I am sure that Mexico is also viewed as a very important partner for Thailand in Latin America as well. Our trade relations are on a very strong basis; you don’t discontinue the exchange of automotive parts from one year to the next. Such trade requires long-term investment and planning.

“We are also seeing increasing cooperation between the universities of our two countries. For example, we have been negotiating direct agreements for cooperation between institutions. One that will be signed in the near future is between Thammasat University and the University of Guadalajara. Khon Kaen University already has a cooperative agreement with the University of Colima.

“Mexicans are beginning to know more about Thailand, and I am trying to promote the interchange of information.”

Apart from a shared love of spicy food and beautiful beaches, Thailand and Mexico are similar in terms of the mentality of the people. “To work is good, but one should also enjoy life and that’s what Thais and Mexicans are doing.”

HE JORGE CHEN IN FOCUS

• Ambassador Jorge Chen was born in Mexico City on June 18, 1950 and earned bachelor’s degree in International Relations at the Colegio de México.

• He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico in October 1979 and was appointed to the rank of Ambassador in April 1991.

• From July 2007 to August 2011 he was the Ambassador of Mexico to Italy concurrent to the Republic of Malta, Albania and San Marino.

Ambassador Chen also was the Permanent Representative of Mexico to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and to the World Food Program (WFP). He has been President of the Delegates Council of the Instituto Italo-Latino Americano.

• His work abroad includes: Permanent Representative of Mexico to the Organization of American States (Washington, 2004-2005); Alternate Representative of Mexico to the European Union (Brussels, 2001-2004); Ambassador of Mexico to Hungary (Budapest,1998-2001); Chargé d’Affaires of the Mexican Embassy in Chile, where he carried out its official opening (Santiago, 1990); Diplomat in charge of Political Affairs at the Permanent Mission of Mexico to the United Nations Organization (New York, 1979-1985).

• In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Chen has been Undersecretary (Vice minister) for Latin America and the Caribbean (2005-2006); Director-General for European Affairs (1995-1997); Director-General for Asia and Africa (1993-1995); Director-General of the Diplomatic and Historical Heritage and Archives (1992-1993) and Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (1985-1992).

• In the academic field, Ambassador Chen has been a professor at the Las Americas University, the Technological Institute of Mexico (ITAM) and at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). He has participated also as lecturer at the College of Mexico, the University of London, the Free University of Brussels and the University of Leuven, at the Royal Institute of International Relations of Belgium.

• The Ambassador has been decorated by the governments of Luxembourg, Ukraine, Estonia, Italy, Austria, France and Germany. He is currently a member of the Asociación Mexicana de Relaciones Internacionales, to which he has been appointed vice president. Also, he has been president of the Asociación del Servicio Exterior Mexicano (Mexican Foreign Service Association, locally known as ASEM).

• Ambassador Chen is fluent in English, French, and has some knowledge of Italian. He is married with two children.

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HUA HIN

Cha Am • Pranburi • And beyond...

Relax in bliss with Intercontinental’s ‘Summer and Royal Relaxation package.’ See page 124.

News & deals

Hua Hin’s hottest promotions and deals await inside Page 124

Elephant polo

The popular annual tournament will return in August Page 124

Mate’s Rates Friends or family visiting Bangkok? Let them know about these deals!

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Business with pleasure in Cha Am

HOTEL de la Paix Cha Am has launched a “Beachside Boardroom Break” package aimed at companies and executives who want to conduct business in style by the beach. Professionals can make plans in the refined ambience of the resort’s floor-to-ceiling glass-paneled meeting room, before relaxing and enjoying Cha Am’s tranquil atmosphere. The package starts at B2,356 per person per night (includes breakfast and use of meeting room) and is valid until Oct31. ☎ 032 709 555 :hoteldelapaixhh.com

Elephant Polo to return in August

THE 2013 edition of the popular King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament will return to Hua Hin for more nail biting action on Aug 28 – Sept 1. Organized by Anantara Hotels, Resorts and Spas, this charitable event, now in its 12th year, has to date raised over US$600,000 to help Thailand’s elephants.

Last year’s tournament featured 12 teams encompassing over 40 players, including Prince Carl-Eugen Oettingen-Wallerstein, his wife Princess Anna, the New Zealand All-Blacks rugby team, and Thailand’s famous transgender cabaret team, Miss Tiffany’s. :anantaraelephantpolo.com

New sushi classes for kids

BUDDING young chefs can now get to grips with making sushi at Hamaya Restaurant at Grand Pacific Sovereign Resort and Spa Cha Am. Every Sat and Sun, the restaurant offers cooking classes for kids at B550 per person per day. Classes for adults are held on Tues and Thurs at B950 per person per day. Bookings must be made one day in advance. ☎ 032 709 899 :sovereignresortandspa.com

Relax in bliss at Intercontinental Burger bonanza at Dune

THROUGHOUT July, Dune Hua Hin Hotel is marking America’s Independence Day by serving up a meaty platter of three different mini burgers. The patties on offer are beef, pork and seafood, each blended with different herbs. Priced B450++, the burgers come with a generous serving of golden brown fries. ☎ 032 515 051-3 :dunehuahin.com

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SPA fans are in for a treat at The Intercontinental Hua Hin Resort this month. A new “Summer and Royal Relaxation” package is available featuring a choice of two 60-minute treatments and a spa gift set including moisturizing body lotions and exfoliating body scrubs which harness the natural therapeutic powers of jasmine rice and green tea. Treatment highlights include Energy rebalancing massage, Royal Thai massage, Indian head massage, and Thai herbal body brightening scrub.

B4,900 per person. ☎ 02 656 0236 :intercontinental.com/huahin

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Special deal at The G. Hua Hin

UNTIL the end of Sept, city-style resort The G. Hua Hin is offering rates starting at just B2,999 per night. There are 79 rooms in total and four room types are available: Deluxe Pool View, Jacuzzi Pool Deluxe, Jaccuzi Pool Suite and Ocean View Suite. :ghuahin.com

Secrets of the Thai kitchen

PUT on your apron and get ready to get cooking! The delightful Baan Laksasubha Resort Hua Hin has launched a new series of authentic Thai cooking classes hosted at its Mini Kitchen (located next to the resort’s main show kitchen). Sign up for a course and you’ll get to pick a choice of four dishes from a total of 18 recipes, including Tom Yum, Mussaman, Pad Thai and Papaya Salad. Courses are held daily from noon till 3pm, priced B1,700 for one person and B3,000 for two persons. ☎ 032 514 525-31 :baanlaksasubha.com

Hyatt Open Golf Tournament 2013

THE fourth edition of the annual Hyatt Open 2013 amateur golf tournament will be held at the Banyan Golf Club over the weekend of July 20-21. Organised by Hyatt Regency Hua Hin and Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok, the event is a must visit for players and spectators alike.

During the tournament the Hyatt Regency Hua Hin will offer a special golf package deal starting from B20,800 for one player, and B28,800 for two players based on twin sharing basis. Price includes two nights accommodation with breakfast, a welcome dinner, two rounds of golf, an awards luncheon, and complimentary transfers between the hotel and Banyan Golf Club. ☎ 03 252 1234 :huahin.regency.hyatt.com

Family fun at Ibis Hua Hin Sunny Side Up at Dusit Thani

UNTIL Oct 31, Dusit Thani Hua Hin is offering a special “Sunny Side Up” package starting at just B9,999 for two nights including daily buffet breakfast for two. Check in on Fri or Sat and you will get a free Saturday barbecue dinner for two. Alternatively, check in Sun-Thurs

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and receive a B3,000 discount. You also have an option to upgrade to a trendy Dusit Grand Room for an additional B9,000 on weekdays and B12,000 on weekends. :dusit.com

FOR an inexpensive family trip to Hua Hin this month the Ibis Hua Hin is a great option. Located just a short walk from the beach, the hotel is offering its rooms at just B1,000++ per night. Family rooms sleep two adults and two kids and come with WiFi access and in-room Xbox 360 console. ☎ 032 610 388 :ibis.com

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Accommodation

Hua Hin Where to eat Papa John’s Grill Restaurant & Beer Garden

La Paillotte

■ In business for over 13 years, this popular diner has established a large and loyal clientele of locals and returning holidaymakers.

The secret to the restaurant’s success is the owner’s welcoming nature and an extensive menu of good honest well cooked food. Papa John’s is a spacious open-sided restaurant with a bar area ideal for pre-dinner drinks while you survey the excellent selection of dishes on the menu.

Try the fillet, T-bone or rib-eye, each very reasonably priced. The ideal venue for European comfort food and a drink with friends.

■ This charming French restaurant is the ideal place to enjoy an evening of fine food in relaxed surroundings. The fresh and colourful décor brings to mind citrus-scented Mediterranean evenings, as do the excellent range of aperitifs, wines, beers and digestifs. Although the culinary roots of La Paillote’s cuisine are classically French, the kitchen team enhances a rich culinary tradition with contemporary touches. An a la carte menu and nine set menus are available. Open daily from 11am till late.

1/54 Soi Moobaan Khao Takiab, Nong Kae, Hua Hin Tel: 032 514 295

174/1 Naresdamri Road, 77110 Tel: 032 521025

Chom Talay

■ This delightful beachfront restaurant is a great spot for alfresco dining. Pushed up against the water’s edge it has an easy going charm, good food and drink. The menu features a wide selection of delicious seafood dishes. Of note is the stir fried mud crab with X.O. sauce. A piquant tom yam with fresh prawns, pineapple and the flesh of young coconut offers an interesting variation on a classic dish. Open from 11am till 10pm.

Phetkasem Road, Hua Hin, (next to the airport). Tel: 032 547 253-4

White Lotus

■ The Hilton Hua Hin Resort & Spa’s signature Chinese restaurant serves up a wide range of authentic Szechuan and Cantonese dishes, including a signature Roast Peking Duck with pancakes, which is a must try. Factor in the restaurant’s elegant contemporary design and breathtaking views of the ocean and mountains, and it’s no surprise that it never fails to impress first time visitors. Dinner is served Tues-Sun 6pm-10.30pm; Dim Sum Lunch on Sat, Sun and Public Holidays from 11.30am-2.30pm.

Tel: 032 538 999 Email: fb.huahin@hilton.com

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Beach Cafe Restaurant

■ After a hard week of work in Bangkok you deserve a treat! Watch the perfect day on the beach transcend into a unique candlelit dining experience with your loved one. The restaurant offers excellent steaks and seafood plus an unrivaled choice of cocktails and outstanding wines at reasonable prices. The only non-hotel affiliated restaurant on Hua Hin’s main beach offers great value for money.

Soi Hua Hin 75/1 by the sea, Prachaubkirikhan 77110, Open Mon – Sun 10am – 10pm. www.beachcaferestaurant.com

The Veranda Grill ■ The Veranda Grill offers both a relaxed outdoor atmosphere on the beachfront, as well as an indoor dining experience, featuring exceptional views across the Gulf of Thailand. The setting is perfect for sampling some of the sea’s freshest delights. You can choose from a wide selection of authentic Thai cuisine along with continental dishes, all of which are carefully prepared to the chef ’s exacting standards.

Veranda Lodge, Hua Hin Beach, 113 Soi Hua Hin 67, Petch Kasem Road, Prachuab 77110 Tel: 032 533678 email: huahin@verandalodge.com www.verandalodge.com

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New in Hua Hin! Enjoy authentic French cuisine made using the finest imported ingredients Sample some of the world’s best wines and spirits Savor warm home-made bread served with butter from La Rochelle Lunch Set Menu starts at only B350, including water & coffee Only at Le Bistro!

214 Phetkasaem Road, Hua Hin Prachuap Khiri Khan 77110 Tel: 032-900-143 email: romain@lebistrohuahin.com, www.facebook.com/lebistrohuahin

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Accommodation

Hua Hin Where to sleep The Cape Nidhra Hotel, Hua Hin

Villa Maroc Resort Pranburi

■ Located in the heart of Hua Hin right next to the beach, this luxury hotel combines comfort and convenience for the perfect escape. Each suite is well-furnished in stylish décor and each has its own private swimming pool. General facilities include a fitness center, a swimming pool, steam rooms, spa, library, and meeting functions. Rocks Restaurant serves up a wide range of international dishes and local favourites, while the beachside bar, and the cigar and whisky bar, mix up some excellent cocktails.

■ Inspired by Morocco’s distinctive architecture, Villa Maroc combines Thai beachside living and service with some of the most luxurious furnishings from the North African Kingdom, making it a unique addition to Southeast Asia’s accommodation scene. The resort is located in Pranburi approximately 30 kilometers south of Hua Hin town. You can tuck into European, Middle Eastern and Thai cuisine at Casablanca, enjoy cocktails and shisha pipes at the Sisha Bar, relax in bliss at Sherazade Hammam & Spa, and much more.

97/2 Petchkasem Road, Hua Hin Tel: 032 516 600

165/3 Moo 3 Paknampran, Pranburi, Tel: 032 630 771 email: rsvn@villamarocresort.com

Baan Bayan

Hilton Hua Hin Resort & Spa

■ This fine resort features one of Hua Hin’s finest examples of early 1900’s architectural style. The beachfront resort has been faithfully restored to its former glory by the family who once lived there. Guests staying at Baan Bayan can experience the glory of a bygone era in its colonial style structure, yet without sacrificing the modern day comforts and amenities. It has 21 rooms comprising of three suites, 10 sea view rooms and 16 rooms with views of the courtyard or tropical garden.

■ This imposing resort in the centre of Hua Hin is regarded as one of the best family hotels in the region. Accommodation features comfortable rooms and suites, providing guests with a living space that exhibits contemporary Thai design flair and good in-room amenities. There are also 11 Spa Suites available. The awardwinning White Lotus on the 17th floor of the Hilton Hua Hin Resort & Spa offers sky-high dining at down to earth prices.

119 Petchkasem Road. Tel: 032 533 544

33 Naresdamri Road. Tel: 032 538 999

Putahracsa Hua Hin

S’MOR Spa Village & Resort

■ This stylish resort skillfully marries Mediterranean-influenced villa accommodation with the best contemporary Thai interior design flair to create a unique experience. Putahracsa is a secluded sanctuary with 36 SilkSand rooms bordering a magnificent swimming pool and mini beach. Interiors emphasize the ‘sleek and chic’ approach to modern design. The Oceanbed Villas are truly exceptional, providing some of the highest quality accommodation and service in Hua Hin. The resort features a day spa, and superb dining opportunities at Nahb Talay and Oceanside.

■ S’MOR Spa Village & Resort is always a great choice for a relaxing holiday. Located in the center of Hua Hin yet in the peaceful area overlooking the Khao Takiab Mountain with a long beautiful beach, this al-fresco resort features six bungalows and eight bedrooms, each well-equipped with all the mod-cons you could need. The seafront bungalow offers you a choice of private outdoor Jacuzzi or indoor Jacuzzi. The resort’s spa is exclusive and distinctive with an extensive list of treatments including traditional Thai massage. For eats, the beachfront S’MOR Spa Beach Bar & Restaurant serves a wide variety of international and local cuisines.

22/65 Nahb Kaehat Road. Tel: 032 531 470

122/64 Takiab Road, Hua Hin Tel: 032 536 800

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B angk ok deals • Glow Pratunam: Until Oct 31,

s ’ e t a M s rate

the “Weekday Saver” promotion offers a special rate for stays on Mon-Thurs.

A Deluxe Room is B2,970 for two consecutive nights or more (includes breakfast for two and WiFi). ☎ 02 257 3999 :zinchospitality.com/glowbyzinc

amily f r o s d Frien kok? g n a B visiting now about k Let them e deals thes

• Centara Watergate Pavillion Hotel Bangkok: Until June 30, a special rate of B2,240 per night (including breakfast) is offered to guests who book two nights or more at this newly opened hotel. ☎ 02 625 1234 ext 4407 :centarahotelsresorts.com

• Pathumwan Princess Hotel: Valid for bookings and stays until Sept 30, the hotel’s ‘Family Holiday Package’ offers a special rate at B7,000 per suite per night for an ExecuPlus Suite. Highlights include separate living and sleeping rooms, completed with kids’ benefits.

Parents with kids under six will get daily baby-sitting privileges. ☎ 02 216 3700 :pprincess.com

• Ascott: Ascott Limited (Ascott) is offering an “Explore Bangkok” deal at its nine properties in Bangkok. Available for a minimum booking of two nights and valid for stays until Sept 30, the package is B1,500 per night and includes late check-out and WiFi Internet access. Available now at Ascott Sathorn, Citadines Sukhumvit 8, Citadines Sukhumvit 11, Citadines Sukhumvit 16, Citadines Sukhumvit 23, Somerset Lake Point, Somerset Park Suanplu, Somerset Sukhumvit Thonglor, and Vic3.☎ 02 344 2500:the-ascott.com • Grande Centre Point Hotel Terminal 21: Until Oct

• Shangri-La Hotel Bangkok: Until Sept 30, the hotel’s ‘River Romance’ package offers rates starting from B7,880 per room per night. Includes buffet at NEXT2 Café for two, one way airport limousine transfer, one dinner aboard the Horizon Cruise for two, 3pm check out and free high speed Internet access. Rates apply to a minimum booking of three nights. ☎ 02 206 8788 :shangri-la.com/bangkok

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31, the hotel’s ‘21st Carpet Package’ offers three consecutive nights’ accommodation for B12,000+. Rate includes breakfast for two, limousine airport pick up, 3pm check out, and a chance to add an extra night for B4,000+. :centrepoint.com

• S.M. Grande Residence: Valid until Oct 31, the “Stay 3 Nights & Save 20%” deal offers a 20% discount starting at B2,440 for a Deluxe Room when booking three or more consecutive nights. ☎ 02 656 0818 :smgrandebangkok.com

• Novotel Bangkok on Siam Square: Valid for stays until July 15, the hotel’s ‘Stay 3 Pay 2’ package offers three nights for the price of two. Bookings must be made this month, only on the hotel’s website. :novotelbkk.com

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COAST CO PATTAYA

Kok Chang • Wong Amat • Jomtien • Bang Saray • Sattahip • Rayong

Hilton Pattaya’s Dine and Fly promotion is back. See page 138.

News & Deals

The Eastern Seaboard’s hottest dining and hotel promotions Page 138

Boom time

After Pattaya, stand by for Najomtien and Bang Saray Page 134

Social

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After Pattaya, stand by for Najomtien and Bang Saray It’s boom time in this new coastal region

By Tim Gladwin

Spectacular coast: The view from Bang Saray

T

HE coastal region of Najomtien and Bang Saray, immediately south of Pattaya and Jomtien, has long been popular with discerning residential purchasers. Their beautiful beaches, with views out to picturesque islands and breathtaking sunsets undoubtedly make them lovely places to live. Moreover, the road links to nearby Pattaya makes the area wonderfully convenient, but for whatever reason they have remained relatively quiet.

Immediately prior to the 2008 credit crisis, the area appeared to be on the verge of taking off, but the consequent economic slowdown had the effect of applying the brakes, at least for a while.

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Today, a drive along Sukhumvit Road through Najomtien and onto Bang Saray would convince most observers that the take-off is now well and truly underway.

While not the only new condo development in the area, the recently launched Del Mare development, located on Bang Saray Beach Road, is perhaps the most important. This 32-storey, 385 unit project will be the first high rise development in Bang Saray. Previously doubts were expressed as to whether high rise developments were permissible in Bang Saray. Clearly, the debate now appears to be settled. The Del Mare is being developed by the Porchland Group, currently one of the area’s most active developers. In choosing the wonderfully attractive Bang Saray bay for their latest

project, they are taking full advantage of the area’s significant momentum.

The sizable AD Bang Saray condominium has sold well, focusing on affordable units, and is now virtually complete, while the smaller Bang Saray Beach Condo has been successful enough to convince the developer to launch a second project in the area. Just up the road, a few hundred metres back towards Pattaya, the Pure Najomtien promises to be a very special, absolute beachfront development.

The early interest in the Pure from domestic buyers, notably those from Bangkok, reinforces the fact that the long standing popularity of the area amongst Thais remains intact and, in fact, grows ever stronger.

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However, the growth of the area is not just about condominiums and housing developments being built in ever increasing numbers. There are currently two state of the art water parks being developed, both of which are due to open later this year. According to reports, Ramayana will be the biggest water park in South East Asia, while the Cartoon Network Amazone attraction will likely rely upon its brand name to bring in families with relatively young children.

New attractions in the area include the Coliseum, a huge cabaret club

Jomtien beach, seen from the Glass House bar and restaurant

that additional new residential projects will be launched in the vicinity in the coming months. Indeed, we are already seeing the early signs of exactly this happening.

By way of example, one can look to the recent launch, by listed developer Nusasiri, of the Grand Kingdom, a large, mixed use development to be set on a 300 rai site on Sukhumvit Road close to the point at which Najomtien becomes When one considers the vast numbers of domestic, typically Bangkokbased visitors who have been drawn to Pattaya in the past by what one would perhaps consider to be less exciting new attractions, the addition of water parks will be very significant indeed. Projections are that several hundred thousand will visit each park each year and I don’t doubt the credibility of those figures.

The visitors will represent passing trade for residential developments in the area. Many will be introduced to the Bang Saray/Najomtien area for the first time.

The expectation is that other businesses and attractions will open in order to take advantage of the opportunities provided by these visitors, thus creating a positive cycle of development. Accordingly, one assumes

Bang Saray. According to reports, the development will include housing, condominiums, retail space, a hotel and another water park. The shopping plaza will be an exciting addition to the area and very welcome for car drivers who currently deal with extremely busy traffic to get to the otherwise superb Central Festival Mall in the centre of Pattaya.

The TCC Group’s recent announcement that they are to build two large hotels in Najomtien, one of which will be a Marriott Resort and Spa and the other a JW Marriott, is another big boost for the area. Also of potentially great significance are the actual and proposed upgrades to U-Tapao Airport. While located in Rayong Province, just outside of Sattahip, the airport is little more than 15-minute drive from Bang Saray.

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"As and when U-Tapao becomes the fully fledged international airport that is currently being planned, it is fair to assume that, in more ways than one, the area will well and truly have taken off."

The Pure Najomtien, a low-rise condo popular with Bangkok buyers

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lready, undergoing a 200 million baht redevelopment to increase its annual capacity fivefold to three million passengers, the Transport Minister recently ordered the Department of Civil Aviation to conduct a feasibility study into the construction of a second runway at the facility. The stated plan is to develop U-Tapao into a fully operational commercial airport alongside Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang Moreover, the high speed rail link that, as part of the governments 2.2 trillion Baht infrastructure package, is due to connect U-Tapao with Rayong, Pattaya and Bangkok, will be likely to drive the airport to grow still further.

So it seems that big things lie ahead for Najomtien and Bang Saray. The momentum from the on-going development is very significant indeed to the extent that it now seems unstoppable. As and when U-Tapao becomes the fully fledged international airport that is currently being planned, it is fair to assume that, in more ways than one, the area will well and truly have taken off.

Tim Gladwin is General Manager – Pattaya and the Eastern Seaboard for Jones Lang LaSalle Tel: 038 252 588. For more info on the above, visit joneslanglasalle.co.th or email: Tim. Gladwin@ap.jll.com

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N ew s and Deals

Tempting prizes at Hilton Pattaya

HILTON Pattaya Hotel has brought back its “Dine and Fly with Hilton Pattaya” promotion, which once again gives visitors the chance to win some great prizes. To qualify for the promotion, simply spend B3,000 or more on in-room dining, at the spa, or at any of the hotel’s restaurants. Five winners will be chosen at random to receive either two nights’ accommodation and daily breakfast at a choice of Hilton destinations in Asia (includes airfare), or a chance to throw a party worth up to B100,000 at Horizon rooftop bar. The promotion is valid until Nov 30. ☎ 038 253 000 :3hilton.com

Pattaya Marathon 2013

ONE of the city’s most popular and celebrated annual events, the Pattaya Marathon (also known as the King’s Cup marathon) attracts hundreds of athletes from all around the globe. Scheduled for July 21, the event will include the full marathon plus categories such as half marathon, quarter marathon, and wheelchair races. A dual pricing structure is in place for foreign and Thai runners: B1,620 and B500 respectively. :pattaya-marathon.net

Monthly pizza menu at Terrazzo Restaurant

IF, as the cliché goes, variety is the spice of life, then the Holiday Inn Pattaya has just got hot. Until December, the hotel’s Terrazzo Restaurant is offering a different pizza sensation for each calendar month. June is “Blue Cheese Potato Pizza” month, featuring cooked potato slices and blue cheese topped with red onion caramelized garlic cloves roasted and fresh rosemary leaf. Things turn Thai in July with “Larb Moo Pizza” and in August you’ll find the “G.E.C Pizza,” featuring premium goat cheese slices, grilled purple eggplant and capsicum. B395 per pizza. ☎ 03 872 5555 :holidayinn.com

Going Indian at Oasis Restaurant

INDIAN food takes centre stage this month at Oasis Restaurant at Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya, where Chef Ram is cooking up two special set menus featuring all his signature dishes. Set A, priced B600++, features Tandoori chicken, Rice pulao, and Rashgulla, cottage cheese balls soaked in chilled sugar syrup. Set B, priced B650++, includes Tandoori prawn, Chicken Tikka Butter masala, and Gulab Jamun, deep fried sweet dumpling stewed in sugar syrup. ☎ 038 301 234 ext 4260-61 :centarahotelsresorts.com

Noodle affair at Cape Dara

NOODLE lovers can satisfy their stir-fry cravings at Cape Dara Resort’s Ming Xing Restaurant this month with an all-you-can-eat selection of 24 noodle dishes. Available during lunch (11am-2pm), the deal is B390 per person and includes salad and dessert. Deal ends June 30. ☎ 03 893 3888 :capedarapattaya.com

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Review

Pattaya|Sugar Hut

Review

Sugar Hut – Pattaya’s original boutique hotel

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The past meets the present in style at this delightful resort in South Pattaya

SINCE 1984 Sugar Hut Resort & Restaurant has been giving visitors the chance to enjoy luxury accommodation in traditional Thai-style houses which, while they may look ancient, come equipped with all the modern-conveniences a guest could wish for.

Take what appears to be a mattress on the floor, for example. It may not look like the most comfortable of beds, but lie down on it and you’ll find that a whole bed has actually been sunk into the floor. This means that while guests enjoy the illusion that they’re sleeping as they would in a traditional Thai home, they still get the same comfort as they’d find in any top quality hotel.

It’s the same with the bathrooms, where, for example, guests can keep to the traditional theme by scooping water

out of a large porcelain barrel to wash themselves, or simply switch on and use the hot shower.

Aside from a spacious bedroom and bathroom, each villa also has a small separate living room decked out with comfy couches, TV and DVD player – not strictly traditional, but hey, you can always wear the farmer-style Thai outfits offered in each villa to keep the traditional theme going strong.

Set within lush tropical gardens, the resort has a wonderful ‘back to nature’ atmosphere and even wild peacocks and rabbits can be spied wandering around.

Scattered around the verdant landscape is the resort’s full range of hotel services, including three communal swimming pools, a fully equipped gym, 0.5km running track,

391/18 Moo 10 Tabphaya Road, Pattaya City

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a natural sauna, and one of the best Thai restaurants to be found in Pattaya.

Guests can opt to enjoy meals in the comfort of their rooms, or head to the restaurant to lounge at low tables and soak up the tranquil atmosphere of the resort.

Menu highlights include Set of shrimp and crab egg paste with chilli sauce (B280); Steamed seafood with chilli and coconut custard in fresh coconut shell (B280); Fresh Chinese spring rolls topped with special sauce (B160); Deep fried banana blossom in batter (B180); and Bou-Loy (rice dumpling in sweet coconut milk served in coconut shell (B110).

Sugar Hut is located five minutes from South Pattaya on the way to Jomtien Beach. Advance booking for accommodation is highly recommended.

☎ 03 836 4186, 03 825 1689 :sugar-hut.com

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Another great rugby weekend for the Pattaya 10s

THE 13th edition of the Amari Orchid Pattaya Chris Kays Memorial Rugby Tournament attracted 16 local and overseas teams for another great weekend of sporting action and camaraderie on and off the pitch. Held at Horseshoe Point and organized by Jim Howard and his team, winners of this 10-a-side version of rugby were the Thai Barbarians who retained their title against the Thai Legends by a narrow margin.

Other teams included Valley Barbarians, Pot Bellied Pigs, Elephant Brutal, Nawamin Old Boys, Bargunchong, Hong Kong Scottish, Bangkok Bangers, Armed Forces Preparatory Academy, The Southerners, Taverners, Mosquitoes, Chiang Mai Suas, Bangkok Japanese and home side Pattaya Panthers. (Photographs by Harpic Bryant).

Dubliner opens in Laem Chabang

THIRSTY residents of Laem Chabang, near Pattaya, now have their own pub thanks to the recent opening of The Dubliner, an Irish-themed venue specializing in local and imported beers and a full menu of favourite pub foods.

The opening party attracted a big crowd of locals and well wishers from Bangkok.

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